The book "Red Notice"

[LarryC]

This is an amazing book, IMO, written by Bill Browder, grandson of Earl Browder, long-time leader of the Communist Party of the USA:  http://www.amazon.com/Red-Notice-Finance-Murder-Justice/dp/147675571X.  None of that ancient, totally discredited ideology shows up in the book, but the characteristics of a really awful (at worst) nation sure do.

 

The Browder book is outstanding in its extraordinary clarity, one of the best attention-getters I've ever read.  Suspense and excitement right to the very last page before his final reflections.  

 

While everyone was distantly persuaded of the USSR's hateful nature before it collapsed, this book brings it all back and describes all too well the personal and national characteristics of that country's leadership and institutions.  It's really scary, even from all the way over here in the Western world.  It also proves the exceptional character of what Churchill called the English-Speaking Peoples.

 

Some villains and heros cropped up in his tale of US political sausage-making.  McCain comes off really well, and some others, while Kerry was a very low character.  Of course, Browder could easily spin it that way, but it fit with how I perceive Kerry.

 

This is a real how-the-good-guys-won story.  Loss and humiliation went right up to Putin even almost to the last page, who mentioned Browder by name, in anger.

 

What finally stood out was how Browder's accomplishments won amazingly far-reaching legal and moral victories that appeared to make permanent changes for the better in how Russian shenanigans are dealt with.  Great strategic outcome!

[Travis In Austin]

Cool, it is on Kindle, I will pick it up.

 

Thanks for the tip Larry.

 

Travis

[Daddy Dee]

Thanks Larry. sounds like a really good read.

[Travis In Austin]

Thanks Larry. sounds like a really good read.

D,

How are things at All Souls? What have you read lately you can recommend?

Travis

[Zen Traveler]

Hey @LarryC I just ran across this thread and wonder what you think about the book's premise and how ironic it is linked to current affairs? 

[Jeff Matthews]

10 minutes ago, Zen Traveler said:

Hey @LarryC I just ran across this thread and wonder what you think about the book's premise and how ironic it is linked to current affairs? 

"A real-life political thriller about an American financier in the Wild East of Russia, the murder of his principled young tax attorney, and his dangerous mission to expose the Kremlin’s corruption."

 

Ha ha!  You could mold that into any parallel conspiracy theory you wanted.

 

[LarryC]

I'm not sure what you mean, Jeff, but Red Notice wasn't just a premise, but rather a fact-based exposé of legal thuggery in today's Russia that it has expanded beyond its borders, as in the poisoning of presumed enemies of the Russian state extended internationally, e.g., into UK restaurants.

 

It's useful to know that Russia almost literally papers courts around the world with Red Notices which other countries have learned to ignore -- a real degradation of what has been a very useful international law enforcement tool.

 

I'm surprised Bill Browder is still alive.

[Jeff Matthews]

2 minutes ago, LarryC said:

I'm not sure what you mean, Jeff, but Red Notice wasn't just a premise, but rather a fact-based expose of legal thuggery in today's Russia that it has expanded beyond its borders, as in the poisoning of presumed enemies of the Russian state extended internationally, e.g., into UK restaurants.

 

It's useful to know that Russia almost literally papers courts around the world with Red Notices which other countries have learned to ignore -- a real degradation of what has been a very useful international law enforcement tool.

 

I'm surprised Bill Browder is still alive.

 

I don't know anything on the subject and thought it was pure fiction.  My response was to Zen's claim it was ironically "linked to current affairs."   

[Zen Traveler]

10 minutes ago, LarryC said:

I'm not sure what you mean, Jeff, but Red Notice wasn't just a premise, but rather a fact-based expose of legal thuggery in today's Russia that it has expanded beyond its borders, as in the poisoning of presumed enemies of the Russian state extended internationally, e.g., into UK restaurants.

 

It's useful to know that Russia almost literally papers courts around the world with Red Notices which other countries have learned to ignore -- a real degradation of what has been a very useful international law enforcement tool.

 

I'm surprised Bill Browder is still alive.

Jeff didn't seem to understand what the book was about and his response was quite telling. Seriously, Larry, it's amazing the information we can find living in a fact-based world. 

6 minutes ago, Jeff Matthews said:

I don't know anything on the subject and thought it was pure fiction.  My response was to Zen's claim it was ironically "linked to current affairs."   

It's not fiction and is linked to current affairs in a BIG way. 

[Jeff Matthews]

 

1 minute ago, Zen Traveler said:

6 minutes ago, Jeff Matthews said:

I don't know anything on the subject and thought it was pure fiction.  My response was to Zen's claim it was ironically "linked to current affairs."   

It's not and again I suggest if you research the subject you will find it very pertinent to what has transpired since and is in the news today--I miss these discussions with you, man! 

Well, it doesn't sound like it would be about "politics," as that word is understood in the land of verbotten discourse here.  Lay it out.

[Zen Traveler]

1 minute ago, Jeff Matthews said:

 

Well, it doesn't sound like it would be about "politics," as that word is understood in the land of verbotten discourse here.  Lay it out.

I understand why you like that new dynamic and will refrain because it is already playing out in the courts and investigations....I also don't fault you for not understanding the connection because it's all entertainment for you, verboten or nicht, meine freunde.  

[Jeff Matthews]

Just now, Zen Traveler said:

I understand why you like that new dynamic and will refrain because it is already playing out in the courts and investigations....I also don't fault you for not understanding the connection because it's all entertainment for you, verboten or nicht, meine freunde.  

So, I was right?  lol

 

I got you down, man! 😉

[Zen Traveler]

Btw, here is a clue from the link which shouldn't go over the line @Jeff Matthews 

 

In 2007, a group of law enforcement officers raided Browder’s offices in Moscow and stole $230 million of taxes that his fund’s companies had paid to the Russian government. Browder’s attorney Sergei Magnitsky investigated the incident and uncovered a sprawling criminal enterprise. A month after Sergei testified against the officials involved, he was arrested and thrown into pre-trial detention, where he was tortured for a year. On November 16, 2009, he was led to an isolation chamber, handcuffed to a bedrail, and beaten to death by eight guards in full riot gear.

 

2 minutes ago, Jeff Matthews said:

I got you down, man! 😉

Yes you do and ever since you deleted your 10 point plan in which I agreed with I understood you as well.  
 

[Jeff Matthews]

1 minute ago, Zen Traveler said:

Btw, here is a clue from the link which shouldn't go over the line

I read it.  Made me think about the spy in England.

[Zen Traveler]

3 minutes ago, Jeff Matthews said:

I read it.  Made me think about the spy in England.

It makes me think about a meeting amongst comrades discussing repealing the Magnitsky Act. 

[Jeff Matthews]

14 minutes ago, Zen Traveler said:

It makes me think about a meeting amongst comrades discussing repealing the Magnitsky Act. 

Never heard of it.  Read about it.  Could be.  Interesting.  Thanks for the lead.  

[Jeff Matthews]

30 minutes ago, Zen Traveler said:

It makes me think about a meeting amongst comrades discussing repealing the Magnitsky Act. 

Here's one for you:

 

I was wondering whether I could find any evidence that politics has always been bitter.  I wanted to know whether it's really getting worse and worse as many people claim.  One of the first links I found was this article.

 

I took the time to read it all the way through, and it was enlightening, from a historical perspective, to judge where we are now and where we are going.  I think the author makes very good historical observations to show many examples of even more embittered politics than we have today, but ultimately, he observes that politics today are more bitter than they ever were.  He can't have it both ways.  Has politics always been so bitter, or not?  I think he actually made a good case that it's been much, much worse before.

 

[Zen Traveler]

16 minutes ago, Jeff Matthews said:

Has politics always been so bitter, or not?  I think he actually made a good case that it's been much, much worse before.

 

I wasn't trying to instigate a discussion on politics in general and trying to shed light on the topic that was in the news.....Insofar as your comment above and the linked article--I think both are an attempt at justifying the status quo. My counter is that we live in THE Information Age and the problem with political discussions is lack of civility/ What makes this time unique is that it's still happening and now on a daily basis from the very top. Prior to this election folks were saying a person couldn't be elected by dividing so many people with language that was offensive and as you know they were proved wrong. That doesn't make it right and I don't wish to get Larry's thread closed down because I think the initial discussion is important and timely. 

[Jeff Matthews]

17 minutes ago, Zen Traveler said:

I don't wish to get Larry's thread closed

Me, neither.  I PM'd a response to you.