Category Archives: Fire This Time

Big News: Top Money-Launderer Deutsche Bank Ditches Russian Biz; More Oligarch Superyachts Seized

March 11, 2022 Reuters: Deutsche Bank to wind down in Russia, reversing course after backlash By Tom Sims, John O’Donnell and Frank Siebelt Deutsche CEO had said exit “would go against our values” Investors criticised Deutsche’s Russia presence CEO’s 2021 pay up 20% FRANKFURT, March 11 (Reuters) – Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE), which faced stinging criticism … Continue reading Big News: Top Money-Launderer Deutsche Bank Ditches Russian Biz; More Oligarch Superyachts Seized →

Hat Trick

Well, I declare & knock me over with a feather: the Determined Retiree Himself, Garrison Keillor, has been jolted into joining the Ukraine Resistance. (At least, a column’s worth, which is a start.) Garrison Keillor: Reality is a good antidote, America. Take a long hard look. The Column: 03.09.22 Garrison Keillor “God created war so … Continue reading Hat Trick →

Cursing the Rainbow: Russian Orthodox Head Patriarch Names Gays as Cause of Ukraine War

Excerpts from “How the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, a Putin enabler, spins the war.” by CATHY YOUNG, at the Bulwark, MARCH 9, 2022 Blaming the Ukraine Invasion on … the Gays? In the past ten days, plenty of rational-izations have been offered for Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine—everything from “Russia needs a buffer … Continue reading Cursing the Rainbow: Russian Orthodox Head Patriarch Names Gays as Cause of Ukraine War →

Moby Dick Redux: The Great Oligarch Yacht Hunt; and searching for a Ukraine End-Game Without Nukes

Two weighty reads for midweek #1 – Fleeing sanctions, oligarchs seek safe ports for superyachts BY MICHAEL BIESECKER — March 8 2022 WASHINGTON (AP) — The massive superyacht Dilbar stretches one-and-a-half football fields in length, about as long as a World War I dreadnought. It boasts two helipads, berths for more than 130 people and a … Continue reading Moby Dick Redux: The Great Oligarch Yacht Hunt; and searching for a Ukraine End-Game Without Nukes →

Two Chilling Blasts From the (not so distant) Past

I’m reading a memoir/autobiography, Writing Straight With Crooked Lines, by Jim Forest. Jim died recently, after a long life spent in peace work, including much collaboration with Quakers. After the attack on a huge Ukrainian nuclear power plant, two passages in it leapt out at me this morning. The first was merely a blip — … Continue reading Two Chilling Blasts From the (not so distant) Past →