Silicon Curtain

Jonathan Fink
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Feb 8, 2025 • 44min

603. Zarina Zabrisky - Reporting on Russian Criminality - Propaganda Methods and a Resurgent Imperialism.

Zarina Zabrisky is an American writer based in the Bay Area, California. She is the author of the novel, We, Monsters, several collections of short stories, including Explosion, A Cute Tombstone and her debut work, Iron, and a book of collaborative poetry and art, Green Lions, co-written with Simon Rogghe. Zabrisky is currently based in Odesa, Ukraine. From the beginning of the 2022 full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, Zabrisky has been reporting on the war in Ukraine for Euromaidan Press, Byline Times and A Community Alliance, and has been published in The Paris Review and various other publications. ----------LINKS:http://www.zarinazabrisky.com/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zarina_Zabriskyhttps://euromaidanpress.com/author/zarinazabrisky/https://kyivindependent.com/author/zarina-zabrisky/https://bylinetimes.com/author/zarinazabrisky/----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Save Ukrainehttps://www.saveukraineua.org/Superhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.orgNGO “Herojam Slava”https://heroiamslava.org/kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemyślhttps://kharpp.com/NOR DOG Animal Rescuehttps://www.nor-dog.org/home/----------PLATFORMS:Twitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/siliconcurtain/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqmLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------Welcome to the Silicon Curtain podcast. Please like and subscribe if you like the content we produce. It will really help to increase the popularity of our content in YouTube’s algorithm. Our material is now being made available on popular podcasting platforms as well, such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
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Feb 7, 2025 • 14min

Silicon Bites #93 - New Blow to Putin and Russian Army as Ukraine Advances in the Kursk Direction.

Edition No93 | 07-02-2025 - Ukraine has struck again in the Kursk direction, advancing up to 6km it is claimed. Russian reports described being struck ‘Like a Bolt from the Blue’, raising the question of preparedness of Russian troops and lack of effective monitoring of Ukrainian preparations. So far, the only information we have is from Russian Mil bloggers, and Z-patriots, so we need to be cautious about the details, as the Ukrainian side is observing tight operational silence. According to these sources, Ukrainian troops launched a surprise offensive in Kursk with 500 personnel and 50 armoured vehicles. It is alleged that gas pipelines were damaged and the strike comes as a blow to Russian control in the area, as well as to Putin image. ----------We ran two events in Ukraine in the last two weeks. Lviv (part 2) and Kyiv. The event we ran in August 2023 was a huge success, and had a great impact. Now our aim is even more ambitious. Two cities. Two events. Multiple panels consisting of the best experts, and all filmed in high definition for the channel.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasBut it costs. Last time the overall cost was £3,500 for Live in Lviv, and we covered 80% of this through ticket sales. This time the costs are higher, and there's less opportunity to sell tickets at the available venues and studios, so I'm creating a campaign to raise £5,000 to make this trip a reality. We also have a much more ambitious programme to film interviews around Kyiv and Lviv for the channel. This project will have an impact, so please help if you can. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------Kursk has become not just a significant meat grinder to sap Russia’s human resources, but a metal grinder, destroying huge amounts of Russian armour and kit. It is interesting to end this episode on some quotes and conclusions from the ISW report: - A small group of Ukrainian troops in Kursk Oblast have complicated the Russian military's efforts to advance in Ukraine over the last six months. - Roughly a division's worth of Ukrainian troops has undermined the Russian military's ability to launch or renew offensive operations in lower-priority areas of the frontline and to reinforce priority efforts with elite airborne (VDV) and naval infantry units. - The Ukrainian incursion in Kursk Oblast is a partial proof of concept of how limited Ukrainian battlefield activity that leverages vulnerabilities in Russia's warfighting capabilities and that integrates technological adaptations with mechanized manoeuvre can have theatre-wide impacts on operations. - It showed that surprise is still possible even on a partially transparent battlefield and that rapid manoeuvre is possible under the right conditions. The war in Ukraine, in other words, is not permanently stalemated. - Either side can potentially restore manoeuvre and begin to gain or regain significant territory. Russia will be able to do so if the West reduces or cuts off aid. Ukraine may be able to do so if Western support continues to empower Ukrainian innovation.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------
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Feb 7, 2025 • 31min

620. Anna Danylchuk - Ukraine is Target of Full-scale War but Feels like the Least Divided Place on Earth

Anna Danylchuk has been creating a war diary since the early days of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia in 2022. Anna Danylchuk aims to tell the truth about Ukraine and Russia’s war and cut through the noise and propaganda. Anna is passionate about the beauty and independence of her country, and communicates this powerfully in her videos, in a clear and honest way.----------LINKS: @AnnafromUkraine https://www.buymeacoffee.com/annafromukraineMy interview with Anna in Lviv - hosted on her excellent channel- https://youtu.be/daHcnsNQ1S0?si=yHbZ2kJZ3CTVRd8Z----------SILICON CURTAIN FILM FUNDRAISER - A project to make a documentary film in Ukraine, to raise awareness of Ukraine's struggle and in supporting a team running aid convoys to Ukraine's front-line towns.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------OTHER VIDEOS WITH ANNA ON SILICON CURTAIN:15. https://youtu.be/o_gWfR5XPrE (20-Dec-24)14. https://youtu.be/EZRULDT06_k (13-Nov-24)13. https://youtu.be/GU4R5mcubIE (19-Sep-27)12. https://youtu.be/APTdfyqnyAI (15-Aug-24)11. https://youtu.be/xUsxXcc97m8 (03-Jun-24)10. https://youtu.be/eQ5fJCFATM0 (18-Apr-24)9. https://youtu.be/Y59nUd8B5pY (21-Feb-24)8. https://youtu.be/J8mge30rxY8 (24-Jan-24)7. https://youtu.be/XQJoTAAfxt4 (24-Dec-23)6. https://youtu.be/0gaK_5TEXXw (28-Nov-23)5. https://youtu.be/x0o1bn-1Yyc (29-Sep-23)4. https://youtu.be/Hm5_Yb3geQ4 (30-Aug-23)3. https://youtu.be/r0PNxM7Xyow (23-Feb-23)2. https://youtu.be/5AenntkSxIs (31-Dec-22)1. https://youtu.be/vPT6oZ1FOAw (21-Oct-22)----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Save Ukrainehttps://www.saveukraineua.org/Superhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.orgNGO “Herojam Slava”https://heroiamslava.org/kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemyślhttps://kharpp.com/NOR DOG Animal Rescuehttps://www.nor-dog.org/home/----------PLATFORMS:Twitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSiliconInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/siliconcurtain/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqmLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------Welcome to the Silicon Curtain podcast. Please like and subscribe if you like the content we produce. It will really help to increase the popularity of our content in YouTube’s algorithm. Our material is now being made available on popular podcasting platforms as well, such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
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Feb 6, 2025 • 9min

Silicon Bites #92 - North Koreans Quit Kursk After Failing to Recapture the Region from Ukraine Army

Edition No92 | 06-02-2025 - North Koreans may have pulled out of front line. At least this is the claim coming from officials in Ukraine. Ukrainian special forces fighting in the Kursk region, which is where Koreans are thought to be concentrated, told the BBC they have not seen any North Korean troops there for the past three weeks. Ukraine's Special Operations Forces (SOF) spokesperson, Colonel Oleksandr Kindratenko, said it was likely they had pulled out after suffering heavy losses. So just how upset is Jim Jong Un with Putin at this humiliating blow? ---------- We ran two events in Ukraine in the last two weeks. Lviv (part 2) and Kyiv. The event we ran in August 2023 was a huge success, and had a great impact. Now our aim is even more ambitious. Two cities. Two events. Multiple panels consisting of the best experts, and all filmed in high definition for the channel. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras But it costs. Last time the overall cost was £3,500 for Live in Lviv, and we covered 80% of this through ticket sales. This time the costs are higher, and there's less opportunity to sell tickets at the available venues and studios, so I'm creating a campaign to raise £5,000 to make this trip a reality. We also have a much more ambitious programme to film interviews around Kyiv and Lviv for the channel. This project will have an impact, so please help if you can. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras ---------- Neither Russia nor North Korea release casualty figures or even admit openly that those troops are fighting on Russian soil, but estimates suggest that out of some 11,000 troops sent to fight, 1,000 had been killed in just three months. Possibly far more are killed and injured. If the speculation is true, it suggests significant North Korean casualties, because of which they have been pulled off the front lines. The concern among Ukrainian experts and Western officials is that the withdrawal may not be permanent. There is a possibility of course, that North Korean soldiers could return after receiving additional training, and in far greater numbers. But the Russians would have to come up with new ways of deploying them to avoid a repeat of such heavy casualties. ---------- SILICON CURTAIN FILM FUNDRAISER A project to make a documentary film in Ukraine, to raise awareness of Ukraine's struggle and in supporting a team running aid convoys to Ukraine's front-line towns. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras ---------- NEWS SOURCES: https://kyivindependent.com/north-korean-troops-not-seen-for-3-weeks-in-parts-of-kursk-oblast-ukraines-special-forces-say/ https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjder8zgk48o https://www.politico.eu/article/north-korea-troops-removed-from-russia-ukraine-combat-seoul-spy-agency-nis-says/ https://kyivindependent.com/ukraines-strike-on-russian-command-post-kills-key-russian-north-korean-officers/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2025/01/15/north-korea-deployed-12000-troops-to-kursk-in-october-three-months-later-a-third-are-dead-or-wounded/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNkh5I_ZKQ4&t=472s ---------- SUPPORT THE CHANNEL: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain ---------- TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND: Save Ukraine https://www.saveukraineua.org/ Superhumans - Hospital for war traumas https://superhumans.com/en/ UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukraine https://unbroken.org.ua/ Come Back Alive https://savelife.in.ua/en/ Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchen https://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraine UNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyy https://u24.gov.ua/ Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation https://prytulafoundation.org NGO “Herojam Slava” https://heroiamslava.org/ kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemysl https://kharpp.com/ NOR DOG Animal Rescue https://www.nor-dog.org/home/ ----------
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Feb 6, 2025 • 1h 37min

619. Volodymyr Yermolenko - Why Russia Attacks its Neighbours - Imperial Trauma that Triggers Violence.

Volodymyr Yermolenko is President of PEN Ukraine, the writers Union, and Chief Editor of Ukraine World. He is one of Ukraine’s leading cultural and intellectual figures, a philosopher, essayist, translator, Doctor of Political Studies, candidate of philosophical sciences, and senior lecturer at the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. It is a great privilege to be in conversation, especially here in Kyiv. In this discussion, Yermolenko unpacks the complexities of Ukrainian identity, the historical context of Russian-Ukrainian relations, and the ongoing war. He explores themes of assimilation, imperialism, and the role of language in shaping national identity, while also analyzing how media narratives influence public perception. ---------- This event was co-hosted jointly by the Fog of War & Silicon Curtain podcasts. Hosts: Yaroslava Bukhta and Jonathan Fink 📍 Recorded at the office of ICAP Yednannia 🎥 Filming & Editing: Vladyslav Mashkin, The Ukrainians Media 📢 Event Logistics & Communications: 9.Department & Veronika Kobzysta 🔍 Key Topics: ✅ The historical roots of Russian-Ukrainian relations ✅ How language shapes identity and assimilation ✅ The role of media in shaping war narratives ✅ The cultural stakes of Ukraine’s fight for identity ✅ What this means for Europe’s future 📢 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more in-depth conversations on Ukraine, media, and global affairs. ---------- 00:00:00 - Introduction to the event and speaker 00:03:47 - Importance of memory and history in the Russian political project 00:04:32 - Discussion on the conscious effort to erase historical documents 00:05:26 - The symbolic significance of Chersones in Russian history 00:06:58 - The destruction of historical monuments in Crimea 00:08:04 - The role of legacy in European history 00:13:15 - The significance of language in shaping identity 00:14:41 - Language as a tool of imperialism and assimilation 00:20:58 - The challenge of conveying the reality of war to outsiders 00:28:56 - Discussion on genocide and reconciliation post-conflict 00:34:45 - The future of Europe and the rise of authoritarianism 00:50:20 - The balance between power and democracy in society 01:02:25 - The fight for Ukrainian identity as an anti-imperial struggle 01:06:26 - The role of culture in understanding and translating experiences 01:19:20 - The impact of media narratives on public perception 01:21:54 - Closing thoughts and reflections on the discussion ---------- 🎧 Follow us on: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2xj9aEHBbqc3VfH7mayJWB ApplePodcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fog-of-war/id1782306981 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fog_of_war_podcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fogofwarpodcast/ ---------- View Yaroslava’s profile Yaroslava Bukhta: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yaroslava-bukhta/ https://www.anthro.ox.ac.uk/people/yaroslava-bukhta https://www.ukrainer.net/authors/yaroslava-bukhta-2/ https://x.com/yaroslavabukhta https://www.facebook.com/yaroslava.bukhta/ ---------- We ran two events in Ukraine in the last two weeks. Lviv (part 2) and Kyiv. The event we ran in August 2023 was a huge success, and had a great impact. Now our aim is even more ambitious. Two cities. Two events. Multiple panels consisting of the best experts, and all filmed in high definition for the channel. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras But it costs. Last time the overall cost was £3,500 for Live in Lviv, and we covered 80% of this through ticket sales. This time the costs are higher, and there's less opportunity to sell tickets at the available venues and studios, so I'm creating a campaign to raise £5,000 to make this trip a reality. We also have a much more ambitious programme to film interviews around Kyiv and Lviv for the channel. This project will have an impact, so please help if you can. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras ----------
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Feb 5, 2025 • 29min

612. Ingvald & Birds of Fury - Advances in Drone Warfare Protect Lives and Help Keep Ukraine in the Fight

Interview with Ingvald, member of the “BIRDS OF FURY” unit of the Ukrainian armed forces. A unit of the Armed Forces of Ukraine that uses the «Backfire» unmanned aerial vehicle system which has been specially designed to destroy enemy forces and equipment. This drone can fly far beyond the front line, venting our fury on the enemy, and return home to pick up a new payload. The «Backfire» is immune to enemy radio electronic countermeasures, and like us, is ready to unleash its rightful rage against our genocidal invaders. However, we and our planes need your help to continue destroying the Russian occupiers before they come knocking on your door. ---------- LINKS: https://zlyizbir.org.ua/ https://zlyizbir.org.ua/en/ ---------- We ran two events in Ukraine in the last two weeks. Lviv (part 2) and Kyiv. The event we ran in August 2023 was a huge success, and had a great impact. Now our aim is even more ambitious. Two cities. Two events. Multiple panels consisting of the best experts, and all filmed in high definition for the channel. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras But it costs. Last time the overall cost was £3,500 for Live in Lviv, and we covered 80% of this through ticket sales. This time the costs are higher, and there's less opportunity to sell tickets at the available venues and studios, so I'm creating a campaign to raise £5,000 to make this trip a reality. We also have a much more ambitious programme to film interviews around Kyiv and Lviv for the channel. This project will have an impact, so please help if you can. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras ---------- SILICON CURTAIN FILM FUNDRAISER A project to make a documentary film in Ukraine, to raise awareness of Ukraine's struggle and in supporting a team running aid convoys to Ukraine's front-line towns. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras ---------- SUPPORT THE CHANNEL: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain ---------- TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND: Save Ukraine https://www.saveukraineua.org/ Superhumans - Hospital for war traumas https://superhumans.com/en/ UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukraine https://unbroken.org.ua/ Come Back Alive https://savelife.in.ua/en/ Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchen https://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraine UNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyy https://u24.gov.ua/ Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation https://prytulafoundation.org NGO “Herojam Slava” https://heroiamslava.org/ kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemyśl https://kharpp.com/ NOR DOG Animal Rescue https://www.nor-dog.org/home/ ---------- PLATFORMS: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSilicon Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/siliconcurtain/ Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain ---------- Welcome to the Silicon Curtain podcast. Please like and subscribe if you like the content we produce. It will really help to increase the popularity of our content in YouTube’s algorithm. Our material is now being made available on popular podcasting platforms as well, such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
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Feb 5, 2025 • 16min

Silicon Bites #91 - Why are Moscow and Washington Pushing Ukraine to Hold Risky, Divisive Elections

Edition No91 | 05-02-2025 - About 8 months ago I spotted an uptick in allusions to a certain narrative – the illegitimacy of Ukraine’s president. His elected term formally ended in May 2024, but under the country's martial law no election can be held. Let’s make this clear, it would be unconstitutional and unlawful for Zelenskyy to call an election. We’ll examine the impracticality of this later. ---------- We ran two events in Ukraine in the last two weeks. Lviv (part 2) and Kyiv. The event we ran in August 2023 was a huge success, and had a great impact. Now our aim is even more ambitious. Two cities. Two events. Multiple panels consisting of the best experts, and all filmed in high definition for the channel. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras But it costs. Last time the overall cost was £3,500 for Live in Lviv, and we covered 80% of this through ticket sales. This time the costs are higher, and there's less opportunity to sell tickets at the available venues and studios, so I'm creating a campaign to raise £5,000 to make this trip a reality. We also have a much more ambitious programme to film interviews around Kyiv and Lviv for the channel. This project will have an impact, so please help if you can. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras ---------- More than five years have now passed since May 20, 2019, when Zelensky was sworn in to the Verkhovna Rada, and boldly stated: "Each of us is president." He was elected with 73.2% of ballots cast by voters who dreamt of change. Among his many promises of transformation was a key one to negotiate an end to the war in the Donbas. He also committed to end corruption, improve pensions, raise wages, and many other enticing promises. Instead, what he and Ukraine got was war – full-scale, brutal and destructive, imperial, genocidal, relentless. The former comedian turned war leader has changed beyond recognition. Physically of course the impact of war has been obvious. But he has also matured into a great speaker, persuader and one of the most iconic war leaders of history. His words have matured, his face has hardened, his beard has grown. Zelensky now only appears in combat fatigues, an outfit that has remained unchanged since the invasion of February 24, 2022. ---------- SILICON CURTAIN FILM FUNDRAISER A project to make a documentary film in Ukraine, to raise awareness of Ukraine's struggle and in supporting a team running aid convoys to Ukraine's front-line towns. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras ---------- NEWS SOURCES: https://www.rferl.org/a/trump-ukraine-peace-elections/33303303.html https://kyivindependent.com/us-urges-ukraine-to-hold-elections-after-ceasefire-trumps-envoy-tells-reuters/ https://unherd.com/newsroom/america-should-not-pressure-ukraine-into-elections/ https://news.sky.com/story/us-wants-ukraine-to-hold-elections-following-potential-ceasefire-trump-envoy-says-13301316 https://www.politico.eu/article/ukraine-freak-out-us-russia-push-election/ https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2024/05/23/volodymyr-zelensky-a-president-with-no-term-end_6672475_4.html ---------- SUPPORT THE CHANNEL: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain ----------
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Feb 4, 2025 • 20min

Silicon Bites #90 - Orwellian 'Ministry of Efficiency' Mounts a 'Crypto Coup' Against US Governance.

Edition No90 | 04-02-2025 - Under the guise of bringing efficiency and transparency to governance in the US is a coup under way? An administrative takeover, a crypto coup by the leading luminary of the tech brotherhood, Elon Musk? A nihilistic revolution eviscerating US government institutions. Some are starting to see patterns that indicate a hijack of the Federal Government is in progress and being conducted virtually unchallenged. You perhaps thought that Trump 1, after 2016 was chaotic, then buckle up, because 2025 will be far wilder and stranger. ---------- We ran two events in Ukraine in the last two weeks. Lviv (part 2) and Kyiv. The event we ran in August 2023 was a huge success, and had a great impact. Now our aim is even more ambitious. Two cities. Two events. Multiple panels consisting of the best experts, and all filmed in high definition for the channel. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras But it costs. Last time the overall cost was £3,500 for Live in Lviv, and we covered 80% of this through ticket sales. This time the costs are higher, and there's less opportunity to sell tickets at the available venues and studios, so I'm creating a campaign to raise £5,000 to make this trip a reality. We also have a much more ambitious programme to film interviews around Kyiv and Lviv for the channel. This project will have an impact, so please help if you can. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras ---------- The newly created “Department of Government Efficiency” under Elon Musk, is increasingly starting to look like an Orwellian choice of names. For efficiency, read demolition of the basic functions of government, and a paralysis in the process of governance. Barely has the inauguration passed and attempts to decimate the federal civil service are well in hand. But the consequences are being felt on a global scale, as we just saw with the suspension of USAID that will affect many hundreds of millions of people outside of the US. ---------- SILICON CURTAIN FILM FUNDRAISER A project to make a documentary film in Ukraine, to raise awareness of Ukraine's struggle and in supporting a team running aid convoys to Ukraine's front-line towns. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras ---------- NEWS SOURCES: https://substack.com/home/post/p-156341494 https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/feb/02/elon-musk-doge-access-federal-payment-system https://news.sky.com/story/senior-usaid-pair-suspended-after-refusing-elon-musks-doge-staff-access-to-secure-systems-13302165 https://edition.cnn.com/2025/02/02/politics/usaid-officials-leave-musk-doge/index.html https://www.forbes.com/sites/digital-assets/2025/02/02/this-needs-to-stop-now-elon-musk-confirms-radical-doge-us-treasury-plan/ https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jan/18/tech-bros-trump-inauguration-silicon-valley-nation-state https://news.sky.com/story/senior-usaid-pair-suspended-after-refusing-elon-musks-doge-staff-access-to-secure-systems-13302165 https://www.businessinsider.com/union-groups-sue-accuse-treasury-giving-doge-access-data-2025-2 ---------- SUPPORT THE CHANNEL: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain ---------- TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND: Save Ukraine https://www.saveukraineua.org/ Superhumans - Hospital for war traumas https://superhumans.com/en/ UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukraine https://unbroken.org.ua/ Come Back Alive https://savelife.in.ua/en/ Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchen https://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraine UNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyy https://u24.gov.ua/ Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation https://prytulafoundation.org NGO “Herojam Slava” https://heroiamslava.org/ kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemysl https://kharpp.com/ NOR DOG Animal Rescue https://www.nor-dog.org/home/ ----------
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Feb 3, 2025 • 1h 30min

Live Stream with Jonathan MS Pearce - The Chaos of Geopolitics and Moving at the Speed of Ukraine

Kyiv stands firm, in the third year of the war. Our trip to Ukraine is now over. ALL INTERVIEWS RECORDED and they’ve started appearing on the channel. Thank you to everyone who helped make it happen - your generosity meant we could film everything that we planned. We hope these materials will have an impact in helping to tell Ukraine's story, and generate support for its cause. Everything will be published free on Silicon Curtain throughout February. We are still a little way off the funding target, and have some filming and logistics expenses to cover. If you can, do please help us to get to the target, and this will also help us to confidently plan the next event. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras
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Feb 3, 2025 • 12min

Silicon Bites #89 - EU Debates Resumption of Gas Supplies from Russia (or their Total Capitulation).

Edition No89 | 03-02-2025 - This episode is all about energy – especially gas supply to Europe. Rumours abound that the EU is considering renewing gas purchases from Russia as part of a Ukraine peace deal. Where do we even start with this unbelievably misguided, opportunistic, immoral and strategically brain-dead idea? Dependence on Russian gas is what led Putin to believe he could invade a sovereign European nation in the first place and coerce all the others to just tolerate that. ---------- We ran two events in Ukraine in the last two weeks. Lviv (part 2) and Kyiv. The event we ran in August 2023 was a huge success, and had a great impact. Now our aim is even more ambitious. Two cities. Two events. Multiple panels consisting of the best experts, and all filmed in high definition for the channel. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras But it costs. Last time the overall cost was £3,500 for Live in Lviv, and we covered 80% of this through ticket sales. This time the costs are higher, and there's less opportunity to sell tickets at the available venues and studios, so I'm creating a campaign to raise £5,000 to make this trip a reality. We also have a much more ambitious programme to film interviews around Kyiv and Lviv for the channel. This project will have an impact, so please help if you can. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras ---------- Allegedly, EU officials are discussing the potential resumption of gas purchases via a Russian pipeline as part of a potential settlement of the Russia-Ukraine war. This was reported by the Financial Times reported on Jan. 30, citing undisclosed sources. The proposal's advocates, including Hungarian and German officials (of course), argue the move could give both Russia and Europe incentives to maintain a peace deal while stabilizing the continent's energy market, the outlet wrote. And this based on the theory that Russia was so trustworthy the first time round, through the Budapest Memorandum and Minsk Accords, that we should have another go at surrendering our security to the tyrant in the Kremlin? Such logic also assumes that the Russian leadership are economically and politically rational and ignore the clear imperialistic and genocidal motivations behind the war of aggression. ---------- SILICON CURTAIN FILM FUNDRAISER A project to make a documentary film in Ukraine, to raise awareness of Ukraine's struggle and in supporting a team running aid convoys to Ukraine's front-line towns. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras ---------- NEWS SOURCES: https://kyivindependent.com/eu-denies-any-ties-between-russian-gas-purchases-and-peace-talks-over-war-in-ukraine/ https://kyivindependent.com/eu-mulls-restarting-russian-gas-purchases-as-part-of-ukraine-peace-deal-ft-reports/ https://www.ft.com/content/a19aa690-fb54-41ea-9885-10972b11ab24 https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/hungary-block-eu-russia-sanctions-next-time-unless-ukraine-gas-transit-resumes-2025-01-31/ https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-lets-russian-gas-slip-again-in-new-sanctions-package/ https://www.politico.eu/article/turkey-europe-gas-transit-ukraine-replace-cyprus/ https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/dec/20/donald-trump-tells-eu-buy-more-us-oil-gas-tariffs ---------- SUPPORT THE CHANNEL: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain ----------

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