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One of my go to sites is the Duran with Alex Mercouris. I find him very well informed, articulate and engaging. He always reminds us to remember the human cost of this current conflict.

Often what is discussed on the Duran with him and Christoforu is cutting edge.

Alex brings together alot of different geopolitical issues for us. As Mark said, it is very hard to get credible information about the situation between Russia and Ukraine.

Highly recommend The Duran, Andrei Martyanov, and The Saker.

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Is this the same Alex Mercouris who was 'struck off' (disbarred) a few years ago in the UK? Is he credible? See (about 20 paragraphs down): https://archive.ph/wMcuo

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author

Yes it is. Is he credible? He reads the article word for word. That's credible. Are his views on economics, finance, and politics "credible"? You be the judge.

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I asked because I had never heard of him. I will be criticized by others if I forward his views and it turns out his views are suspect...so I thought I would do some due diligence. Always a good idea. Of course each one of us is responsible in the final analysis if/when we vouch, in any way, for the views of another.

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@cassander

My rule of thumb for evaluating Mercouris, Ritter, Martyanov, or anyone else is to judge them by their track record. Does their analysis hold up to reality? Does it make sense? Is it consistent with what I've found to be true elsewhere from other reliable sources? Do they have the odeur of the grifter? What kind of company do they keep-- ie, what guests, what co hosts, what shows do they sit for?

On all these criteria Mercouris and The Duran hold up extremely well. Ritter...not so much.

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I quote Mercouris NOT for HIS views, per se--he repeatedly states that he has no expertise in these matters--but because he passes along the views of others who are credible to one extent or another--Doug Macgregor, Scott Ritter (jailbird, fwiw), and others. It's difficult to gather non-mainstream views on the Russia conflict, and his videos serve a useful purpose in that respect. Reading an article by a respected journalist shouldn't be controversial. In the same way, I make no apology for referring to Scott Ritter's views on Ukraine and Russia. His expertise in military matters is beyond doubt, despite his personal problems and other views with which I disagree. The same goes for others. Being disbarred or convicted of a serious criminal offense doesn't mean one's views on unrelated matters are non-credible.

As for Mercouris' problems in the past, he attributes them to the effects of depression and medication. I'm in no position to judge whether his statements are true or are simply excuses.

https://medium.com/@alexandermercouris/my-battle-with-depression-how-misdiagnosis-and-medical-malpractice-almost-killed-me-c24c0d3673fc

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May 25, 2022·edited May 25, 2022

His comment below certainly earns my respect:

“I will finish by saying that lost in my “dark wood” I found far more help and support from reading Dante and Dostoevsky — both sufferers from what we today call depression — than I did from anything the medical services had to offer me.”

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I can vouch for the fact that decades of lawyering (or barristering) in a high powered practice can certainly be 'depressing'.

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Yep, I understand.

Taking care of a relative with dementia is incredibly stressful. I assume the relative also had other health issues. Add on a stressful job. And taking medications to address the stress issue, which often have side effects.

Reads as very true. Until you have dealt with family in a similar situation, it’s hard to grasp the magnitude.

It’s amazing he recovered.

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They are unveiling those carbon tracers for the average person. No way are they going to be held to the same standards of the 'little people'.

Whether it's enforcement (like how Democrats get away with murder) or 'exceptions' it will never be the same for the 'haves' and the 'have nots'.

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They assume they are exempt. Isn’t that the way it works?

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I've seen reporting that 1500 private jets landed at Davos.

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