Kasparov was in Toronto this week...

[Larry Bevand]

There is an interview in "The Mop & Pail" oops The Globe & Mail today...I will let you draw your own conclusions :) ....someone can post a link :)

[Caesar Posylek]

Re: Kasparov was in Toronto this week...

I didn't see that article in today's the Globe and Mail issue. Sometimes those newspapers are not completed in the public libraries. Some of the pages are missing.

[Jack Maguire]

Re: Kasparov was in Toronto this week...

There is an interview in "The Mop & Pail" oops The Globe & Mail today...I will let you draw your own conclusions :) ....someone can post a link :)

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...ticle21414892/

[Nigel Hanrahan]

Re: Kasparov was in Toronto this week...

Kasparov re-gurgitates, exactly, word for word, the missives of the US State Department and the political appointees at the top of the NATO military alliance. There's nothing here that hasn't been shrilly squawked from Washington or from the cabal of zealots that make up the echo chamber of the neo-con world and who seem to have captured dominance in US foreign policy for the nonce.

The latest US missives has an "Axis of Evil" in Iran, Russia, and North Korea. Kasparov re-gurgitates this. However, Kasparov is also in a kind of la la land. Objective and anonymous polls, Gallop and other domestic Russian ones, show Putin with an enormous level of domestic support - levels that any politician we know of can only dream of. The Russian President has these levels because ordinary Russians rejected the vodka-soaked idiots (that were loved in the West) like the late Boris Yeltsin to represent them, and have made their choice. But Everything is a lie that contradicts Kasparov's point of view. This is another reason why he would have been a terrible FIDE President.

IMHO, this sort of neo-con politics poisons the chess world, introduces xenophobic hate propaganda into sports, and sets things backwards. The chaos of unending war, economic austerity, and stereotyped thinking is what is offered here.

No thanks.

Supplemental: V. V. Putin made what was probably the most important speech of his political career at the Valdai Discussion group. In this speech he made clear a number of very important issues, perhaps the most important of which in terms of this thread are the following points:

- global security lies in ruins thanks to, above all, the USA
- Russia favors a conservative approach to innovations in the social order
- Russia has no interest in an empire of its own or fishing in the murky world created by the Americans;
- they won't allow themselves to be isolated;
- they view war as almost inevitable;

and so on. The speech is easy enough to find and is a marked contrast to many of the public remarks of our own politicians, who can barely string a few sentences together, and is characterized by a refreshing truthfulness and honesty on these important matters. Read the speech if you dare.

[Gary Ruben]

Re: Kasparov was in Toronto this week...

You must be pissing yourself with joy over how well the left did in the Toronto elections.

I'm really happy with how well Chow did.

[Sid Belzberg]

Re: Kasparov was in Toronto this week...

Kasparov re-gurgitates, exactly, word for word, the missives of the US State Department and the political appointees at the top of the NATO military alliance. There's nothing here that hasn't been shrilly squawked from Washington or from the cabal of zealots that make up the echo chamber of the neo-con world and who seem to have captured dominance in US foreign policy for the nonce.

The latest US missives has an "Axis of Evil" in Iran, Russia, and North Korea. Kasparov re-gurgitates this. However, Kasparov is also in a kind of la la land. Objective and anonymous polls, Gallop and other domestic Russian ones, show Putin with an enormous level of domestic support - levels that any politician we know of can only dream of. The Russian President has these levels because ordinary Russians rejected the vodka-soaked idiots (that were loved in the West) like the late Boris Yeltsin to represent them, and have made their choice. But Everything is a lie that contradicts Kasparov's point of view. This is another reason why he would have been a terrible FIDE President.

IMHO, this sort of neo-con politics poisons the chess world, introduces xenophobic hate propaganda into sports, and sets things backwards. The chaos of unending war, economic austerity, and stereotyped thinking is what is offered here.

No thanks.

Supplemental: V. V. Putin made what was probably the most important speech of his political career at the Valdai Discussion group. In this speech he made clear a number of very important issues, perhaps the most important of which in terms of this thread are the following points:

- global security lies in ruins thanks to, above all, the USA
- Russia favors a conservative approach to innovations in the social order
- Russia has no interest in an empire of its own or fishing in the murky world created by the Americans;
- they won't allow themselves to be isolated;
- they view war as almost inevitable;

and so on. The speech is easy enough to find and is a marked contrast to many of the public remarks of our own politicians, who can barely string a few sentences together, and is characterized by a refreshing truthfulness and honesty on these important matters. Read the speech if you dare.

"IMHO, this sort of neo-con politics poisons the chess world"
The current leader of FIDE was responsible for leaving an entire region of Russia to starve while he plundered it and spent money on chess palaces while mothers protested that they did not have food to feed their children. Mothers who were banished to asylums for having such "frivolous concerns". Of course the journalist that dared report about this was brutally murdered by two of Kirsan's close aides.

Interestingly the Kremlin first opened a criminal investigation against Kirsan for corruption and murder and then promptly dropped the case when Kirsan switched his alliance in 1999 to the newly formed Unity Party that Putin had pledged his support for. A subsequent analysis of the 1999 electoral returns in Kalmykia where the Unity party won showed strong signs of electoral fraud. Local election officials simply added extra ballots to the ballot boxes in support of Unity. A quantitative analysis of the population of Kalmykia and the number of votes cast in the 1999 election counted proved this assertion.
Your type of politics poisons humanity, never mind the chess world.. The chess world is already poisoned. It has been reduced to being controlled by corrupt kleptocratic murderous lying thugs. Ask Mr Carlsen how thrilled he is about having to defend his chess title in Sochi. You really would do Canada (the government you espouse hatred for) and the rest of us a favor if you would piss off and move to your beloved Putin controlled Russia.

[Vlad Drkulec]

Re: Kasparov was in Toronto this week...

"IMHO, this sort of neo-con politics poisons the chess world"
You really would do Canada (the government you espouse hatred for) and the rest of us a favor if you would piss off and move to your beloved Putin controlled Russia.

While I disagree with Nigel's politics which is somewhat indistinguishable from that of the large bulk of NDP politicians (our official opposition), their supporters and most Canadian activists, Mr. Hanrahan is fairly far down the list of people who represent such a threat to our Canadian way of life that anyone needs to dig out that tired cliche.

That the Globe and Mail would consider that article newsworthy bodes poorly for their ability to survive as a newspaper. I guess it does show a bias which allows our former world chess champion to keep his name in the news with the same old line of argument. The simul of world politics that our western politicians are playing shows many games reaching unfavourable critical positions while the Russian board looks like a rook and pawn ending which should be drawn with proper play after some endless maneuvering.

[Sid Belzberg]

Re: Kasparov was in Toronto this week...

While I disagree with Nigel's politics which is somewhat indistinguishable from that of the large bulk of NDP politicians (our official opposition), their supporters and most Canadian activists, Mr. Hanrahan is fairly far down the list of people who represent such a threat to our Canadian way of life that anyone needs to dig out that tired cliche.

That the Globe and Mail would consider that article newsworthy bodes poorly for their ability to survive as a newspaper. I guess it does show a bias which allows our former world chess champion to keep his name in the news with the same old line of argument. The simul of world politics that our western politicians are playing shows many games reaching unfavourable critical positions while the Russian board looks like a rook and pawn ending which should be drawn with proper play after some endless maneuvering.

Vlad you spent months trying to mislead everyone from chesstalk readers to Globe and Mail readers to CFC governors that Kirsan is not Putin's boy. Trying to soft pedal Nigel's extremist views is just as ridiculous. i also take issue with your recent post where you state that when i was the most generous with the CFC that they were suffering financial hardship and that you learned a lesson from this like my donations somehow had something to do with the CFC problems.

I see that you recently claimed that the CFC does not even have the financial resources (no volunteers=need money to pay to get things done) to properly maintain/upgrade and keep current its own website. It's time that you take responsibility for your own decisions instead of pretending that you know everything and bad mouth others.The Globe and Mail, Time Magazine, Newsweek Magazine, the Wall Street Journal all consider what Gary has to say relevant and routinely publish his essays and interviews. Regardless of your views of yourself do not have more knowledge then all of these news organizations about what is newsworthy.

[Vlad Drkulec]

Re: Kasparov was in Toronto this week...

Vlad you spent months trying to mislead everyone from chesstalk readers to Globe and Mail readers to CFC governors that Kirsan is not Putin's boy.

This whole line of argument is boring and unconvincing.

Trying to soft pedal Nigel's extremist views is just as ridiculous.

Some of Nigel's views are even more ridiculous but unfortunately they are shared by your good friend Mr. Obama and the U.N. panel on climate change apparently.

i also take issue with your recent post where you state that when i was the most generous with the CFC that they were suffering financial hardship and that you learned a lesson from this like my donations somehow had something to do with the CFC problems.

Its not so much that they had something to do with the CFC problems as they did nothing to address the CFC problems. I haven't done an analysis of those old financial statements as I am more concerned with the here and now.

I see that you recently claimed that the CFC does not even have the financial resources (no volunteers=need money to pay to get things done) to properly maintain/upgrade and keep current its own website. It's time that you take responsibility for your own decisions instead of pretending that you know everything and bad mouth others.

Yes I made a decision that aside from little things here and there I was not going to personally update the CFC website. That was my decision and I take responsibility for it.

The Globe and Mail, Time Magazine, Newsweek Magazine, the Wall Street Journal all consider what Gary has to say relevant and routinely publish his essays and interviews. Regardless of your views of yourself do not have more knowledge then all of these news organizations about what is newsworthy.

Frankly if I read the name Kasparov lately, I just get bored and tune out. Yes he thinks Putin is our most pressing problem. Most people see the world situation quite a bit differently. Are any of those newspapers or magazines experiencing an increase in readership? I didn't think so.

[Nigel Hanrahan]

zombie ideas and let chess be chess

That the Globe and Mail would consider that article newsworthy bodes poorly for their ability to survive as a newspaper. I guess it does show a bias which allows our former world chess champion to keep his name in the news with the same old line of argument.

An expression which I read recently and which seems to capture well the political point of view that Kasparov defends is this: zombie ideas. They don't really hold water, they keep get empirically debunked, but they shuffle forward because there are powerful interests in seeing them continue. The whole range of neo con views I would put in this zombie box. Just to give a single example. The very same terrorists that neo con Z. Brzezinski gloats about in terms of luring the Soviets into war in Afghanistan are the ones that later attacked NY City on September 11, 2001. But these neo cons, who imagine themselves to be puppet masters of the whole globe, pretend there are "good" terrorists and "bad" terrorists. We've all seem what that leads to. Another example: the Chechen terrorists were only bothering Russia, so they were "good" terrorists ... until some of them bombed the Boston Marathon. Then they became "bad" terrorists. Yet these horrific, war-like ideas shuffle forward anyway.

supplemental: the Americans are even training terrorists to attack Russia. See the following translation from local media ... American instructors preparing clandestine groups for Russian-speaking territories . What do they want? World War III?

Just look at the fluff pieces that Kasparov gets paid God knows how much to write, the stuff that even the Globe and Mail decide to run, and so on. These are ideas from a previous historical era, grafted onto the present, evoking cold war political reflexes by shrill demagoguery. They help sell weapons, build up the police state and Orwellian spying on the citizenry, create chaos around the planet, evoke horrific blowback like 9-11, and help Sunni kill Shi'a and Shi'a kill Sunni, but they are dangerous, harmful, and should be exposed.

And that's exactly what my remarks here are intended to do. It's a shame that Kasparov uglifies his own glorious record in the annals of chess, but then there are other World Champions who've made fools of themselves as well. Chess is chess, and it should stay that way.

[Gary Ruben]

Re: zombie ideas and let chess be chess

An expression which I read recently and which seems to capture well the political point of view that Kasparov defends is this: zombie ideas. They don't really hold water, they keep get empirically debunked, but they shuffle forward because there are powerful interests in seeing them continue. The whole range of neo con views I would put in this zombie box. Just to give a single example. The very same terrorists that neo con Z. Brzezinski gloats about in terms of luring the Soviets into war in Afghanistan are the ones that later attacked NY City on September 11, 2001. But these neo cons, who imagine themselves to be puppet masters of the whole globe, pretend there are "good" terrorists and "bad" terrorists. We've all seem what that leads to. Another example: the Chechen terrorists were only bothering Russia, so they were "good" terrorists ... until some of them bombed the Boston Marathon. Then they became "bad" terrorists. Yet these horrific, war-like ideas shuffle forward anyway.

Just look at the fluff pieces that Kasparov gets paid God knows how much to write, the stuff that even the Globe and Mail decide to run, and so on. These are ideas from a previous historical era, grafted onto the present, evoking cold war political reflexes by shrill demagoguery. They help sell weapons, and create chaos around the planet, and help Sunni kill Shi'a and Shi'a kill Sunni, but they are dangerous, harmful, and should be exposed.

And that's exactly what my remarks here are intended to do. It's a shame that Kasparov uglifies his own glorious record in the annals of chess, but then there are other World Champions who've made fools of themselves as well. Chess is chess, and it should stay that way.

I get the feeling Kasparov and any other entity is a red herring (if you'll pardon the pun) in the discussions of Russia and Putin with you.

I notice Russia has come to an agreement to supply Ukraine and Europe with natural gas to get some money.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/...0II0XQ20141030

Read the last paragraph.

Now if $80. a barrel oil will do this I'm wondering what $65. oil or even lower will do.

I've noticed that since the left wing government won in Ontario, Ford announced the investment of a couple of billion dollars in Southern Ontario will be going to Mexico and a natural resource company which was planning on developing a multi billion dollar mine in Northern Ontario has said he now doesn't think it will developed 50 years from now and his company is trying to sell the resource but so far no luck.

In Manitoba the left is currently fighting amongst themselves. Cabinet ministers stepping down and being quickly replaced. Really, who cares what those ex-cabinet ministers think. If the Premier wants their point of view he'll tell them what it is. Isn't that how it works on the left?

[Jean Hébert]

Re: Kasparov was in Toronto this week...

I guess it does show a bias which allows our former world chess champion to keep his name in the news with the same old line of argument.

The truth has the right and even the duty to remain the same, at least for a while.
Over the chess board Kasparov is rightly known as a strict truth seeker and he is no different in other areas of life.

[Jean Hébert]

Re: Kasparov was in Toronto this week...

Just the first question and answer tells it all. To the point, logical and astute. In case people d not care to click...

Question : Is Putin satisfied with the gains he has made in Crimea and the stalemate in Eastern Ukraine, or were this summer’s events a prelude, with more to come?

It is a prelude because Putin has a domestic audience that he is playing to with these gains. His goal is to stay in power. If you are in power for 15 years and you made clear you would like to stay for the rest of your life, you have to convince people that you have something to offer. The shaky Russian economy is no longer a reason. Hence there’s a need for more drastic actions to justify his claim for power: Vladimir the Great, the collector of Russian lands, unifier of a divided empire … I don’t see how he can backpedal because a dictator can afford many things except one, weakness. The moment he shows weakness he’s no longer all powerful, invincible leader who cannot be challenged. He has to push forward with his agenda … there’s no way back. -Kasparov

[Gary Ruben]

Re: Kasparov was in Toronto this week...

Opinion doesn't mean much. I can as easily state that but for a few more votes the PQ could have ruled (governed if you prefer) a nation. It didn't happen and what Kasparov says applies to other leaders as well. They push forward with their agendas.

The real test of a politician is the ability to win elections. An alternative is working in the print or broadcast media.

[Kerry Liles]

Re: Kasparov was in Toronto this week...

Opinion doesn't mean much. I can as easily state that but for a few more votes the PQ could have ruled (governed if you prefer) a nation. It didn't happen and what Kasparov says applies to other leaders as well. They push forward with their agendas.

The real test of a politician is the ability to win elections. An alternative is working in the print or broadcast media.

And who thinks there are elections in Russia? lol