Le Pen and La Pencildick

From THE LOCAL (FRANCE):

While Russia has been formally accused of trying to meddle in the French presidential election to seek a favourable outcome, it seems they are not the only ones (alleged) interfering.

The company Linkfluence, which monitors social media channels, released data to BFM TV that suggests American internet users are also trying to influence the outcome of the presidential election by helping to boost Marine Le Pen’s chances of winning.

It comes after news site Buzzfeed claimed in January that Trump supporters were pretending to be French online in a bid to help the National Front’s Marine Le Pen.

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Putin on the Heat

From The New York Times:

MOSCOW — A European Union-brokered deal between Russia and Ukraine to restore the flow of heating fuel to the Continent seemed to be falling apart Sunday evening, less than a day after it had been signed, with Moscow objecting to conditions that Ukraine attached to the agreement after Russia had already signed it.

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The *Untied* States of America, Part 3

Hey comrades amigos hosers kids! We continue on with our exploration of Igor Panarin‘s vision of the U.S., circa 2010. Previously, we have covered The Texas Republic (TTR) and the new Russian Alaska, as well as the Central North America Republic (CNAR). Today, we will explore Atlantic America, which may join the European Union.

I had better warn you, comrades amigos hosers kids mes amis, that we had better brace ourselves for the I told you sos from TTR and parts of CNAR.

The *Untied* States of America, Part 1

Kids, while we were all celebrating 2009, I’m afraid that we weren’t paying attention to what 2010 is going to bring. From The Wall Street Journal:

MOSCOW — For a decade, Russian academic Igor Panarin has been predicting the U.S. will fall apart in 2010.

…snip…

Prof. Panarin, 50 years old, is not a fringe figure. A former KGB analyst, he is dean of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s academy for future diplomats.

…snip…

A polite and cheerful man with a buzz cut, Mr. Panarin insists he does not dislike Americans. But he warns that the outlook for them is dire.

Uh-oh! Here’s Panarin’s new map (found at the above link):

That got me thinking about how politicians will react to the new landscape. It seems some of them have already gotten word of the changes, and I have photos of how they are adapting.

The so-called Russian expert not rushin’ to help

From Time:

Russia’s invasion of Georgia spread into a multi-front war Monday as Moscow’s troops attacked in the west of the country and took the town of Gori in its center, effectively splitting the nation in two. The incursion of Russian troops beyond the secessionist province of South Ossetia represents a direct challenge by Russia to the U.S., the European Union and NATO, and threatens to draw a new line of confrontation between the former cold war adversaries. It is also a test case for the limits of post-Iraq U.S. Power.

But if the stakes are high, you wouldn’t know it from Washington’s early reaction. The administration of George W. Bush has been slow to respond, with the President making cautious statements of condemnation over the weekend at the Olympic games in Beijing, and Condoleezza Rice remaining on vacation and oddly absent from public view.

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The Leg-ass-y

From TimesOnline:

President Bush has admitted to The Times that his gun-slinging rhetoric made the world believe that he was a “guy really anxious for war” in Iraq. He said that his aim now was to leave his successor a legacy of international diplomacy for tackling Iran.

In an exclusive interview, he expressed regret at the bitter divisions over the war and said that he was troubled about how his country had been misunderstood.

…snip…

Phrases such as “bring them on” or “dead or alive”, he said, “indicated to people that I was, you know, not a man of peace”.

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He’s Quacking as Loud as He Can

From the Washington Post:

PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: Good morning. I’m just about to leave for Europe. I’m looking forward to my trip.

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