State sovereignty is a reality of International Relations, and those who deny it do so at their own risk regardless of whether they disagree with the forms in which it’s expressed, which Durov just learned the hard way after naively believing that he was invincible for reasons of wealth and ideology.
A long quote here, but I think it captures the essence of the excellent article:
“Another factor that influenced his thinking was the celebrity status that he obtained in the West for infamously defying his native Russia’s reported request over a decade ago to hand over information about some users who were allegedly engaged in terrorist activity upon a court order. As a transnational socialite whose encrypted platform played a key role in organizing Color Revolutions across the world, Durov truly felt that he was too valuable to the West to detain, let alone prosecute.
Whatever problems their governments may have with his platform could presumably be addressed through some sort of deal, including bribery but ideally without handing over users’ information per his principled opposition to this, or so he might have thought in accordance with his worldview. What Durov never considered was that the West’s lack of control over Telegram, unlike Facebook and the former Twitter (and to an extent with X due to its compliance with most legal requests), made him their enemy.
The same New Cold War bloc that he’d thrown his weight behind out of misguided ideological zeal is the one that ultimately ended up persecuting him, not Russia despite his prior fears of that scenario.”
Both Lukashenko and Durov, it would seem, are naive in exactly the same way here:
""...why should you make claims against us [Belarus] when we defend ourselves using the same methods as you do?”"
'because we are exceptional' would seem to be the most basic canon they've both overlooked.
"Durov considered Russia to be the 'greater evil'..."
Problem (for him) is, he took his eye off the ball: there may have been a time when that was true, when he left Russia. Nothing ever lasts forever and things changed quite significantly with the Americans' defeat in the Ukraine. He just didn't see it happening.
Being human, it's kinda difficult to blame him for that: if you had all the money you could ever want, how eager would you be to see anything change?
"...exposing Western-backed war crimes..."
More specifically, it would seem those relating to Gaza, having greater influence on Americans' perception of crime and criminals, as they approach their elections, made the situation more urgent than those relating to anything else.
"...back to Durov’s naivete and his unrealistic worldview..."
If nothing else had woken him up, he should have started looking for the ball when Russia's $300+bn. were stolen. If it's any consolation I'm sure his example, together with the Great Theft of stolen assets, will ensure many, if not most, others are more careful to avoid following suit.
This seems to me to be an operation which Durov probably planned with the French. The aim of this operation will be that Durov loves democracy and France so much that he is willing to destroy telegram for them.
The western world is super and Russia is very bad, yawn!!
If they want you, they will get you, no matter who you are. If countries can take out their own leaders, JFK for one example and there are many more; then no one is immune! Linking as usual @https://nothingnewunderthesun2016.com/
We’re all naive in this New World Order, even the New World Order is out of control. Durov heads up a platform that has every opinionated news article and porn material known to man. Is he lawfully responsible for it all and susceptible by every country’s standards? In the so called Globalist’s attempt to control the world, using, for example, the Blob Theory, these maniacs have exploded it into a million pieces. When it reaches a point where they’ve lost control of everything because they have dumbass bureaucrats and minions making up s..t as they go along not really sure what’s up, what’s down, as long as they can play mini dictators and feel important, will they create a scorched earth affect and a dystopian anarchy? Is this the end goal? Head for their multi million dollar bunkers, while everyone else goes mad and turn on each other? Is that the end goal? Release toxins, dry up food, water and energy supply, cyber attacks from all directions? Is that the end goal? The problem with Psychopathic Narcissistic Overlords in charge is no matter what we or they do from here on out, it will never get better, it will always get worse. And what’s really ironic is they made it all about control creating a Frankenstein even they cannot control? In the end they scurry into their virtual reality bunkers and ride out the scorched earth effect they created? When you’ve lost any empathy for humanity, decimate humanity and all that’s left is Planet Earth, have they then reached their Zenith? We live during a time where the Zeitgeist has been smashed into a million pieces only to be replaced with Psychopathic Narcissism, a syndrome that is the Psychosis of Mass Formation. Unfortunately the only momentum large enough to push back this Beast is Trump and its utter ignorance to think otherwise and ripping it to shreds because it’s not spiritually or intellectually perfect is complete stupidity.
A long quote here, but I think it captures the essence of the excellent article:
“Another factor that influenced his thinking was the celebrity status that he obtained in the West for infamously defying his native Russia’s reported request over a decade ago to hand over information about some users who were allegedly engaged in terrorist activity upon a court order. As a transnational socialite whose encrypted platform played a key role in organizing Color Revolutions across the world, Durov truly felt that he was too valuable to the West to detain, let alone prosecute.
Whatever problems their governments may have with his platform could presumably be addressed through some sort of deal, including bribery but ideally without handing over users’ information per his principled opposition to this, or so he might have thought in accordance with his worldview. What Durov never considered was that the West’s lack of control over Telegram, unlike Facebook and the former Twitter (and to an extent with X due to its compliance with most legal requests), made him their enemy.
The same New Cold War bloc that he’d thrown his weight behind out of misguided ideological zeal is the one that ultimately ended up persecuting him, not Russia despite his prior fears of that scenario.”
Both Lukashenko and Durov, it would seem, are naive in exactly the same way here:
""...why should you make claims against us [Belarus] when we defend ourselves using the same methods as you do?”"
'because we are exceptional' would seem to be the most basic canon they've both overlooked.
"Durov considered Russia to be the 'greater evil'..."
Problem (for him) is, he took his eye off the ball: there may have been a time when that was true, when he left Russia. Nothing ever lasts forever and things changed quite significantly with the Americans' defeat in the Ukraine. He just didn't see it happening.
Being human, it's kinda difficult to blame him for that: if you had all the money you could ever want, how eager would you be to see anything change?
"...exposing Western-backed war crimes..."
More specifically, it would seem those relating to Gaza, having greater influence on Americans' perception of crime and criminals, as they approach their elections, made the situation more urgent than those relating to anything else.
"...back to Durov’s naivete and his unrealistic worldview..."
If nothing else had woken him up, he should have started looking for the ball when Russia's $300+bn. were stolen. If it's any consolation I'm sure his example, together with the Great Theft of stolen assets, will ensure many, if not most, others are more careful to avoid following suit.
Great post! Free speech, is neither "free" or "protected" speech.
Also on X: https://x.com/denisrancourt/status/1829141425314775141
In the case of Andrew, I think a simple error from writing so many valuable posts.
Did you miss the Israel connection to the Durov arrest?
https://archive.ph/wpYTK
https://archive.ph/AmPFL
https://thecradle.co/articles-id/26597
This seems to me to be an operation which Durov probably planned with the French. The aim of this operation will be that Durov loves democracy and France so much that he is willing to destroy telegram for them.
The western world is super and Russia is very bad, yawn!!
If they want you, they will get you, no matter who you are. If countries can take out their own leaders, JFK for one example and there are many more; then no one is immune! Linking as usual @https://nothingnewunderthesun2016.com/
USSR was far better than NATO/ EU
We’re all naive in this New World Order, even the New World Order is out of control. Durov heads up a platform that has every opinionated news article and porn material known to man. Is he lawfully responsible for it all and susceptible by every country’s standards? In the so called Globalist’s attempt to control the world, using, for example, the Blob Theory, these maniacs have exploded it into a million pieces. When it reaches a point where they’ve lost control of everything because they have dumbass bureaucrats and minions making up s..t as they go along not really sure what’s up, what’s down, as long as they can play mini dictators and feel important, will they create a scorched earth affect and a dystopian anarchy? Is this the end goal? Head for their multi million dollar bunkers, while everyone else goes mad and turn on each other? Is that the end goal? Release toxins, dry up food, water and energy supply, cyber attacks from all directions? Is that the end goal? The problem with Psychopathic Narcissistic Overlords in charge is no matter what we or they do from here on out, it will never get better, it will always get worse. And what’s really ironic is they made it all about control creating a Frankenstein even they cannot control? In the end they scurry into their virtual reality bunkers and ride out the scorched earth effect they created? When you’ve lost any empathy for humanity, decimate humanity and all that’s left is Planet Earth, have they then reached their Zenith? We live during a time where the Zeitgeist has been smashed into a million pieces only to be replaced with Psychopathic Narcissism, a syndrome that is the Psychosis of Mass Formation. Unfortunately the only momentum large enough to push back this Beast is Trump and its utter ignorance to think otherwise and ripping it to shreds because it’s not spiritually or intellectually perfect is complete stupidity.
Pretend that Russia or any other country that the Empire doesn't like had arrested Durov on whatever pretext. Imagine the howls of outrage.
Anyway, most of the Russian bonton share Durov's naivete and delusions.