Changing _World

 Not through the whole Putin interview; I have been doing some

reading in European history. Also, about Stalin.

Stalin was very much in favour of giving ethnic minorities - ie ethnic groups -

autonomy. He himself wasn't even Russian, he was born in Georgia then part 

of the Russian Empire. 'Stalin' was an adopted name, the man of steel, perhaps on

the model of 'Lenin', to sound more Russian. I do find it a little disingenious 

on the part of President Putin to claim he doesn't know where the idea came from

for the formation of a federation of smaller unit states that would be more stable. 

It came from Stalin!!

Starting to appreciate the incredible political turmoil in  Europe at the end of the

19th century. Aliances shifted to and froh, wars waged here and there, people were

refusing to fight because it was getting senseless, all in the context of a Europe that 

was industrializing. That couldn't end well and it didn't.The first World War - the Great 

War - was a blood bath. 

The ideas of Karl Marx played an interesting role here. He did appreciate that

Europe was turning into a modern economy. Putting man qua worker center stage,

in an equation to the means of production was one-sided but it did get at

the heart of the then-current problem. And transnational politics kicked in with

the Communist International, and workers' parties. Political parties were salutory

for Germany and the birth of the Weimar Republic. They would play a pivotal role

in the struggles of the various Russian factions.

Noteworthy, to my mind: the Emperor abdicated, being told that it would calm

things down. It was indeed a changing world...

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It's the end of the Synfig Walk Cycle, with a parallax effect...