Canadian Defence Minister Peter MacKay recently claimed that Canadian CF-18 fighter jets at Cold Lake, Alberta, scrambled to intercept a Russian Bear long-range bomber headed for Canada on 16 February 2009 during the visit of president Obama. According to the CBC, the aircraft never did enter North American airspace.
Oh no, the Ruskies are coming! The Ruskies are coming!
MacKay told reporters he wasn’t accusing Russia of deliberately timing the flight to coincide with Obama’s visit, yet he called it a “a strong coincidence”. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper elaborated on “real concerns” about Russian intrusions into Canadian airspace: “I have expressed at various times the deep concern our government has with increasingly aggressive Russian actions around the globe and Russian intrusions into our airspace.”
Holy bellicose bullshit batman, is the cold war on again?
The United States, Canada and Mexico are currently in a process of “continental integration” under the Security and Prosperity Partnership. This is not happening under a traditional multilateral agreement (like NAFTA, which is under the WTO), and its scope is much broader than trade. Already Canada and the U.S. have been coordinating increased joint military excercises, and under the Harper government in Canada, massive increases in military spending have been tabled so that Canada can expand its role in defending Fortress North America. I’m not kidding, that’s what they are calling it.
Under the SPP, the U.S. provides the security and Canada and Mexico provide the prosperity by providing the necessary cheap resources and labour to keep the ever expanding and endless consumption machine well-oiled and operational. You gotta sell this to the people somehow, and what’s better than a good ol’ manufactured threat? Hey, it worked with 9/11 right? The SPP is a by-product of 9/11, where “national” and “regional” security are used as trump cards to propel a globalist agenda coordinated by elite corporate interests. The entire SPP process was coordinated primarily by heads from the largest corporations in Canada and the U.S.
Growing up in the cold-war era meant that I was exposed to a plethora of anti-Soviet propaganda. I remember Russia (really USSR) being the butt of many jokes between friends when growing up. As if we knew anything about Russia! My first connection to the USSR was buying a clunky-but-reliable Zenit 35mm camera around 1982. Many of my neighbours were members of a new diaspora that had participated in an exodus from the Ukraine, Poland, Hungary, etc., so the Soviet Union was an easy target for me growing up.
Years later I discovered through friendships that the problems of Soviet-styled communism weren’t so simple, and that despite the immense tragedies (and genocide) of its imperialism, the Soviet Union had produced some worthy fruits, especially in science, art, music, and sports. The state-run record labels of the USSR provided support to a wide-range of musical artists. Much of it was classical, but there was also, jazz, blues, folk, and pop offerings as well.
This groovy Belorussian psych-folk from the Melodiya label [CM 02651-2, from 1971] is one of a few Soviet-era gems sitting in my vinyl vault.
Pesniary was a vocal-instrumental ensemble founded in 1969 by guitarist Vladimir Muliavin. Before 1970 the band was known under the name Liavony. Pesniary merged Belarusian folklore with popular psychedelic rock elements. They were one of the first Soviet bands to tour the United States in 1976 (apparently with the New Christy Minstrels). The line-up of the band changed frequently. Among the most notable and long-living band members were:
Vladimir Muliavin (guitar, 1968-2003)
Valery Muliavin (guitar, 1968-1974)
Leonid Bortkevich (vocals, 1969-1980)
Anatoly Kasheparov (vocals, 1970-1990)
Valery Dayneko (vocals, alto, 1976-1992)
Leonid Tyshko (bass guitar, 1968-1981)
Vladislav Misevich (saxophone, flute, 1968-1992)
Alexander Demeshko (drums, 1968-1988)
Vladimir Nikolaev (keyboards, 1971-1980)
Александр Демешко – drums, vocal
Владислав Мисевич – flute, saxophone, vocal
Валерий Яшкин – bayan, keyboards
Леонид Тышко – bass-guitar, bass-vocal
Валерий Мулявин – giutar, vocal
Валентин Бадьяров – violin
Валерий Гурдезьяни – trombone
Леонид Борткевич – trumpet, vocal
Track Listing:
1) You Dreamt Me In Spring (Lyrics By – M. Shushkevich; Music By – Y. Semeniako)
2) Jac Made Hay
3) A Willow Grows In The Field
4) On St. John’s Eve
5) Towels
6) My Bast Shoes
7) We’ll Walk Along The Street
8) Alexandrina (Lyrics By – P. Brovka; Music By – V. Muliavin)
9) Byelorussia (Lyrics By – V. Skarynkin; Music By – V. Muliavin)
I am the creator and site administrator at The Basement Rug. I have been collecting LP's and CD's for more than 30 years. I 
