There is a film about a shark — no, not that film — made relatively recently.
It is in English. It starred a prominent British actor. It sported a slick budget.
Everything about the picture screamed "Made in Hollywood”…except, it wasn't.
The movie was Chinese produced and Chinese funded and despite its pretense of originating in the City of Angels there was something ephemeral that belied its origins.
(Billed as a "co-production” of Warner Bros. which did have involvement…it is decidedly not Tinseltown in its vibe.)
No matter how good a piece is, no matter how great a similacritude attempted to the U. S.A., no matter how grand the spectacle — an American can tell when something is only pretending to be American.
Thus, while The Meg was a financial success it didn't fool anyone stateside about the depths from whence it came.
Currently is a battle at the multiplex of Public Opinion. Two features with impressive financing are competing for attention of the masses. As with many film festivals, we have both a bomb and a hit.
American Entry — Project Dusky Frowns
Despite the tagline, it is a misnomer "The world stands with Ukraine”…especially in that the Southern Hemisphere of our world is at best a bystander.
Ask the average Sudanese his opinion on Ukraine and what you are likely to get is a reply it is not his house; i. e. he doesn't live there, he isn't related to anyone inside and he doesn't want to get involved.
Multiply that times the ordinary Argentinian, the common Malawian or typical Filipino and you have the general Earthman take on precisely how much they do — or in this instance do not — care about Ukraine.
Naturally, the Pentagon is aware of this glaring insouciance of their vassals…except…what to do about it to make these useless eaters care for the plight of people they don't know in a land they will never visit?
Kids — (Because for Pentagon-tier thinkers child atrocity stories are ALWAYS the answer.)
Whatever logic exists here is something along the lines…Third-Worlders are poor…Third-Worlders have nothing…Third-Worlders only possess families…Wait!…That's it!…
Drum Roll, Please
Hence, the Great Putin Child-Napping Caper of 2023 was adapted for the widescreen.
If the Pentagon could just finagle those shiftless dusky folks into getting all riled up about Dem Ebil Ruskies coming to steal their brown babies then sure enough it could MAKE them care about Kiev!
Of course, this is nothing but idiotic if not mildly racist alas that is what Washington is known for best.
(Incidentally, let it be made clear the Pentagon is equally racist towards Whites and it is good to see Putin lately drop the "Anglo-Saxon” angle of critique since it has been at least fifty years since Anglo-Saxons have been calling the shots anywhere in America.)
To date the whole Nefarious Putin meme has utterly failed to gain traction with South Americans, Southern Africans or the South Pacific.
For one, people living in the Third World are not stupid. They realize this narrative makes no sense.
For another, the Pentagon Tale is inconsistent. It has been reported by "responsible” media in America anywhere from 10,000 to 100,000 children have been "stolen” from Ukraine. You needn't be a wiz at figures to realize that is a fairly wide margin. If this is all verified then how can sums be so divergent?
Finally, at the end of the day even if that Rapscallion Putin is skulking around Kiev in the dead of night purloining tots…it still doesn't necessarily have any importance to the man on the street in Addis Ababa. That fellow has his very own homegrown problems to work out and none of them involve King Zelensky.
In respect of having failed its objective of causing outrage across the bottom half of the globe Project Dusky Frowns can be qualified an unmitigated failure as well as laughingstock among intelligent people.
Unbeknownst to Pentagon planners, vast swaths of the underbelly of earth are actually quite insightful.
In contrast to the Washington boondoggle of swindling empathy from indifferent individuals, there is the rival Slavic undertaking here referenced as Operation Mean Girls; in honor of the eponymous movie.
As the Russian kabuki theater goes, the plot is humble…Emperor Putin is torn. Samurai Prigoshyn hates Shogun Shoigu. Prefecture Head Gerasimov in turn dislikes Prigoshyn. Honorable Muradov is on the outs. Swordsman Surovikin is currently shunned. Warrior Lapin was done, now he is back.
And on and on and on…A Kingdom in Disarray!
There is screaming on social media. There is name-calling. There would be hair pulling except some of these characters do not have hair to pull.
Yet…somehow it all seems a bit…un-Russian.
Just as you need to be an American to know an American movie, even when you can't quite explain how you know it's foreign; so too for a Slav there is an undercurrent of unreality in the petty drama being shown by Western media regarding Russian military leaders who are not behaving typically Russian.
Permeates an air of…contrivance about things which seems to this observer…choreographed.
Even the set pieces appear staged. Truthfully, what intellectual believes Moscow could only find ONE TANK for the Victory Day parade? That whole spectacle reeked of deliberately lowered expectations.
Still most gullible American broadcast Presenters accepted it and weeks later still guffaw at its mention.
So if one entertains the notion these are more than private antics made public, who wrote the script?
Well I can't say I would put it past the CIA or various other alphabet Agencies to be using assorted negatives to cobble together a narrative that the Russian army is in freefall.
Except there does give the impression of a certain level of coherence to all the outlandish kvetching.
While it might be tempting to envision some mid-range Agency operative putting snips and clips together in an effort to undermine Russian morale, in all fairness that does not lend itself to be the case.
There may be another probable scribe at work.
Cut to the Chase
Here is where some conjecture comes in — albeit two syncs out of frame.
Given these outbursts are decidedly un-Russian.
Given they are increasing in frequency as well as publicity.
Given the parties involved are all otherwise both capable and coherent men.
My guess is it's all a hype…a disinformation operation…but straight out of the Kremlin.
Its purpose is to convince Ukrainians (and their Western paymasters) things are hopelessly muddled in military headquarters with the aim to have Kiev overshoot its mark. This being all a ruse of public infighting to instill an undeserved overconfidence in the abilities of Ukrainian forces.
Such a plan is precisely the sort of thing a Ukrainian would fall for…the only ones falling faster being the American Media — who simply love a Good vs. Evil story.
Overture to the Main
At the same time the so-called responsible parties of the rules-based order are smacking their lips in anticipation of Ultimate Victory it rather may be that Ukraine is on the brink of a massive walloping.
Indeed, this may explain why so many formerly strict reservations have fallen regarding delivery of Western offensive supplies — suddenly tanks, missiles and even jets are being thrown into the mix.
Why now? Maybe the Western militaries are not quite as naive as Controlled Media. Contrary to the accepted wisdom these armaments are a sign Ukraine will survive, it may be a signal Kiev is about to fail.
As far as Public Opinion is concerned, psychologically, the Northern world West of the Dnieper has been lulled into believing Moscow is nothing other than a College Sorority of Backstabbing Megalomaniacs.
Because these sort of juvenile outbursts are so commonplace in the West — even among "leaders” — casual observers gobble up the slop as if it's fresh-baked popcorn from a concession stand.
So there is a Plot and Sub-Plot at play…the Russian broadcast of ineptitude is taken at face value by tremendous amounts of media in the West; while at the same time the highest Western directors suspect their Ukrainian bit-players are about to have the house come crashing down on them.
What we have seen the past month from officials is not a typically "Russian” way of conducting oneself.
Of course we must concede from time to time someone may lose their temper…but everyone? At the same time? And so visibly?
Nyet, Comrade. Until the recent generation Russians typically did not even smile in personal photos with family. Yet suddenly the most prominent men — of several generations senior — are hyperemotional?
I don't buy the Hullabaloo for a second.
Could I be mistaken? Certainly!
In any event, if I'm right that something is wrong about the ongoing spectacle…then the credits will start rolling for King Zelensky and his Kiev Cabal within moments of the vaunted "counteroffensive”.
Let's All Go the Lobby
On a closing note…The Meg was a gigantic hit…with makers soon releasing a sequel.
Nevertheless, as mentioned earlier, an American knows what is an American movie — and what is only preening.
A Slav knows how another Slav behaves — and when he's trying to look as if he's something else.
Neither display has a "feel” which is authentic…despite one not being able to elucidate such a sensation in words.
Whatever is in the final cut, we're all about to learn the Big Reveal.