Timothy Snyder: Putin is preparing to starve much of the developing world

[Nevilledog]

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https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1535617894045868033.html

Russia has a hunger plan. Vladimir Putin is preparing to starve much of the developing world as the next stage in his war in Europe. 1/16

In normal times, Ukraine is a leading exporter of foodstuffs. A Russian naval blockade now prevents Ukraine from exporting grain. 2/16

If the Russian blockade continues, tens of millions of tons of food will rot in silos, and tens of millions of people in Africa and Asia will starve. 3/16

The horror of Putin's hunger plan is so great that we have a hard time apprehending it. We also tend to forget how central food is to politics. Some historical examples can help. 4/16

The idea that controlling Ukrainian grain can change the world is not new. Both Stalin and Hitler wished to do so. 5/16

For Stalin, Ukraine's black earth was to be exploited to build an industrial economy for the USSR. In fact, collectivized agriculture killed about four million Ukrainians. 6/16

Notably, as people began to die in large numbers, Stalin blamed the Ukrainians themselves. Soviet propaganda called those who drew attention to the famine "Nazis." 7/16

Actual Nazis had related ideas. They liked the idea of controlling Ukrainian agriculture. This was in fact Hitler's central war aim. 8/16

Hitler wished to redirect Ukrainian grain from the Soviet Union to Germany, in the hope of starving millions of Soviet citizens. 9/16

The Second World War was fought for Ukraine and in considerable measure in Ukraine, between dictators who wanted to control food supplies. 10/16

Russian memory politics prepared the way for a 21st-century hunger plan. Russians are told that Stalin's famine was an accident and that Ukrainians are Nazis. This makes theft and blockade seem acceptable. 11/16

Putin's hunger plan is, I believe, meant to work on three levels. First, it is part of a larger attempt to destroy the Ukrainian state, by cutting off its exports. 12/16

Putin's hunger plan is also meant to generate refugees from North Africa and the Middle East, areas usually fed by Ukraine. This would generate instability in the EU. 13/16

Finally, and most horribly, a world famine is a necessary backdrop for a Russian propaganda campaign against Ukraine. Actual mass death is needed as the backdrop for a propaganda contest. 14/16

When the food riots begin, and as starvation spreads, Russian propaganda will blame Ukraine, and call for Russia's territorial gains in Ukraine to be recognized, and for all sanctions to be lifted. 15/16

Russia is planning to starve Asians and Africans in order to win its war in Europe. This is a new level of colonialism, and the latest chapter of hunger politics. 16/16
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[2naSalit]

1. Pretty obvious.

And it's not like they haven't used food as a weapon on Ukraine in the past. Now it's the rest of the world.

I hope someone gets him soon.

[Nevilledog]

7. Russian army deliberately shells wheat fields with incendiary missiles.

Link to tweet

Tweet text:

Anton Gerashchenko
@Gerashchenko_en
russian army deliberately shells wheat fields with incendiary missiles.
Ukrainian troops now not only need to fight the russian army but also protect the harvest.

#GenocideOfUkrainians #UkraineRussianWar


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1:11 AM · Jun 11, 2022

[KS Toronado]

31. If it had been windy-er

Those guys would have lost that battle.

[moondust]

2. Whatever it takes.

~
Vladimir Putin's admiration for Peter the Great is well known but he now seems to have ideas of "Great"-ness himself.

He has openly compared himself to the Russian tsar, equating Russia's invasion of Ukraine today with Peter's expansionist wars some three centuries ago, and making his strongest acknowledgment yet that his own war is a land grab.
~
Putin and Peter the Great: Russian leader likens himself to 18th Century tsar

Being remembered as "Putin the Great" with cities, etc., named after him for rebuilding the Russian Empire...is a theory I and others were suggesting more than a month ago.

His revealing comments to young entrepreneurs, engineers and scientists can be found here at the Kremlin's website:
http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/68606

[PortTack]

10. Peter the great..nah. More like Nicolas the 2nd..lost 2 wars including WWI. A total failure

[moondust]

11. He's deranged.

Russia needs to start over like it did in the 90s only this time find a "leader" who is genuinely committed to serving the Russian people rather than himself and his kleptocrat pals.

[Boomerproud]

3. There's nothing that can be done to stop this?

The last 2 points about Russia blaming Ukraine for this will not fly IMWO.

[maxsolomon]

15. Pretty much nothing

except Ukrainian surrender.

[Tomconroy]

22. It can be stopped fairly easily. Destroy the rail bridges and

Provide F16 planes with volunteer pilots. And more artillery.

[EndlessWire]

39. I agree with this.

It will have to be done, whether we like it or not. Retaking Crimea and protecting the South at Odesa is crucial to control of the Black Sea.

I think this is what is behind Biden's recent speaking up about whether Zelenskiy is listening to the intelligence provided to him. Keeping Moldova out of the contended territory is very important, and one way you can do that is to provide tons more of armament to the fighting Ukrainians.

No further word about Ukraine's inclusion in the European Union, is there? I recall that Zelenskiy stated he would have the papers delivered to him filled out within a week, yet nothing more is heard.

I think NATO is going to be involved here in defense of the Black Sea, regardless of whether bordering states are members or not. And, even though Turkey is a recalcitrant member, they will have to get in line with world defense.

I am surprised that Russians are allowing this one man to destroy their country and standing in the world. They should be kicked out of the UN. They have a tripartite pact with China and India, and they are dangerous to the rest of the world.

[gulliver]

4. Thanks for posting. That's chilling.

[Phoenix61]

5. Imagine what Putin would do if he gained control of all

of Ukraine. How much control would he have over Africa? What natural resources would any of those countries trade for grain to feed their people.

[PortTack]

9. Exactly! Pure unmitigated evil. The west cannot allow Ukraine to fall.

[roamer65]

6. The winds of war are blowing.

[Grasswire2]

8. I just ordered some grains from Bob's Red Mill.

It's going to affect us all.

He's got nothing to lose, nothing to live for but this at the end of his health.

[NickB79]

12. Might be time to reconsider using 40% of our corn for ethanol

Especially since it doesn't even reduce greenhouse gases in the first place.

[CrackityJones75]

20. Thank you!

[BlueIdaho]

13. Does Putin really think

His grain stores won’t become targets if he continues down this path? Maybe he just doesn’t care how many of his own people starve in his deranged plans.

[maxsolomon]

17. The US/Europe will not stop exports because they do not want responsibility for famine.

China, Africa nations, India, all can't/won't starve their people to support Ukraine.

Putin has gamed this out.

[BlueIdaho]

18. If Putin starves Ukraine and Europe

This will turn into a hot war faster than you can snap your fingers. If that happens, Russia’s domestic grain stores will become among the first of NATO’s tactical targets

[maxsolomon]

19. He won't starve Europe.

The US & Canada can handle Europe.

If this turns into a hot war between Russia and NATO (it won't), Putin himself should be among our 1st tactical targets.

[EndlessWire]

40. He knows he's safe.

Last edited Sun Jun 12, 2022, 10:29 PM - Edit history (1)

We fight under Marquess de Queensberry rules, while he fights dirty with street rules. As long as Biden issues statements about how we are not going to allow Ukraine to shoot outside their borders, he will be able to maintain control of his people and issue orders to support his war efforts.

There is a lot of pain for us in the future, but other countries will have it worse. I don't mind private admonitions for Ukraine to do this or that, but we need to step up and show strength now.

[dalton99a]

14. Kick

[maryellen99]

16. The new talking point from trumpies on FB

It’s that no one is going to be afford food by this time next month and that the US will be gripped by a massive famine by early fall.

[Takket]

21. "A Russian naval blockade now prevents Ukraine from exporting grain."

Forgive my ignorance....... but what is to stop Ukraine from transporting grain to ports over land through Romania (to the Black Sea) or Poland (to the Baltic Sea)?

[Disaffected]

23. Insufficient rail infastructure?

It takes a lot of rail capacity to move significant quantities and trucking won't hack it.

[paleotn]

29. Bulky, slow and cumbersome.

IF enough infrastructure exists to make a dent. Even then, you've got hundreds of grain haulers driving through a war zone, potentially under threat from Russian aircraft and ballistic missiles until they reach the Romanian, Polish, Hungarian or Slovakian borders. Tough to get guys to sign up for that.

Best solution is break the blockade and clear the mines. Then Russia is then stuck with options they simply can't take. They won't turn Moscow to a radioactive wasteland over this.

[EndlessWire]

42. The Black Sea?

Twenty warships and three submarines. Plus, how would you like to be a farmer out plowing land while dodging shells? I know Ukrainian farmers are tough, but we can only expect so much.

[Karadeniz]

24. Can the UN provide a legal cover, at least ostensibly, for nonUkraine military intervention?

[paleotn]

25. Break the blockade.

Dare Putin to do anything about it. And stop hyperventilating from the nuclear threats. Even evil dictators don't want to die in a flash of light, heat and gamma radiation. Nether do those around him who actually run the machinery of nuclear deterrent.

[ancianita]

28. THIS!

[Eyeball_Kid]

26. Somewhat OT:

Russia and OPEC are responsible for the gas price hikes. It’s beyond Biden’s control. Russia wants higher profits for the war, and OPEC is always looking for a windfall.

[ancianita]

32. If Biden doesn't want the corporate inflation propaganda war to hurt him in '24, he'll find a way.

[ancianita]

27. Snyder is the expert on mass murder by starvation. He knows Putin is following the Stalin model.

Russia will do to Africa and Asia what it did to Ukraine. Starve them, like Stalin did to the 14 million who never spent time in a concentration camp. When the West liberated the German concentration camps, those were the closest that most westerners ever have come to understanding mass killing. But the Allied armies liberated none of the death facilities. It was the Red Army that liberated Auschwitz, Terblinka, Sobibór, and three others. American and Brit forces reached none the major mass starvation zones, and so the Putin's plan continues the mass murder policies of Stalin.

We should have known as soon as we saw Putin freeze a hundred grain ships in the Black Sea. We should have used international law to stop that. We have to stop being afraid of world opinion by a mass murdering country that prefers to deny its history.

Russian blaming Ukraine is like the rapist blaming the woman he raped.

[EndlessWire]

43. He isn't going to just blame Ukraine.

At every turn, he is going to blame the United States. Mostly, this is in retaliation for sanctions, just one way he can demonstrate power. We will hear a lot more at the UN about this.

[ancianita]

44. Right.

He's desperate to get the world's nations to see Russia as a viable nation by dragging other nations down to his level; instead, what they can see from its past and current history is that it's nothing but a gulag with government theater produced by Putin using his oligarch henchmen.

[barbtries]

30. I've felt concern for famine since this atrocity began.

putin imo is a megalomaniac whose ambition is to outdo Stalin. He clearly does not care at all about the loss of life and the misery of millions. i think it pleases him.

[ancianita]

33. Famine is a nature driven problem. This is human mass murder by forced starvation, not famine.

[barbtries]

34. i had to google that.

"How can humans cause famine?
Human events also lead to famine. A major human cause of famine is warfare. During war, crops are destroyed, either intentionally or as a result of combat. In addition, supply lines and routes are cut off, and food cannot be distributed or is prevented from being distributed by combatants.May 19, 2022"

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=can+there+be+a+man+made+famine

[ancianita]

35. I hear you.

I'm not posting a correction of your use.
I'm posting about how famine's denotation is recent. It's just that people don't usually think about famine as human caused, because before WWII it wasn't. Since then, the word's become a cover up for mass murder by stealing food through "farm policy and quotas." Like Dick Cheney said, food is a weapon.

Food and gas are Putin's weapons.

If you want to keep using famine,fine. Free country, free speech.
Just be aware that it can cloud awareness.

When leaders wage "famine" on their own people, it's usually not considered warfare. We in the West were completely blind to what Stalin did to fourteen million women and children, not soldiers, through his starvation zone "policies," then hid it behind the legitimizing word famine.

[barbtries]

37. Well it got through to me

at least when it comes to the famines caused by WWII. I don't mind the distinction though since I already had the perception that famine was man made it didn't seem necessary.

In my eyes all famine is man made, because this planet was made to nurture all of the life upon it, and only humans have fucked it to the point that people starve to death.

[ancianita]

38. Fair point about man made famine.

It's just that mine is about the word famine (even if unintentionally man made) is being used by at least this one leader as a cover for something worse -- intentional mass murder by starvation, is all. THAT kind of famine now has to be monitored as state/military sponsored weapon, particularly with a stateless world elite who don't care how many millions or billions of humans die, as they throw up their hands under a pretext of not knowing what their state bag men are up to.

Thanks.

[barbtries]

45. your point is well taken.

i'll try to remember to include "man-made" when referencing it. I've been talking about it happening since putin's war started. I honestly believe it's part of his plan. So much suffering for nothing. Does not have to be this way.

[ancianita]

46. Cool.

The idea that one can only advance by making others suffer -- that blowing out another's candle makes theirs brighter -- is so barbaric, so jungle, so inhumane, that no enforcers of poverty, suffering and death deserve any place in the modern international world. That they even try to justify their actions by fear or policy disqualifies them as leaders or followers. They need to be isolated so they can do no more harm.

[Samrob]

36. How is it that the "developing world"/ the west can't feed its self? Too many subsidies to not grow

This is what we get when RWingers decry welfare for people but applaud subsidies to corporations. Just like oil companies are refusing to drill oil on the land on which they hold leases just to jack up the oil prices. The US first became energy independent under Obama. Then Trump bragged about making America energy independent. WTF??

So now the farmers that we have been paying to not grow shit are not growing shit and probably don't know how because they have been subsidized for so long. We aren't even "food independent." Imagine that.

[jalan48]

41. A harbinger of what's coming with climate change. Our uber capitalist new world order is built

on a foundation of sand.