Seraphim Hanisch
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
Russia’s VESTI News is truly an entertaining channel at times. This news service is strongly supported by the Russian government, and one of the criticisms it receives from Russian people is that it is an “extreme” propaganda house, telling all manner of crazy stories to distract its watchers’ attention away from the real problems that Russian people face at home.
No doubt there is truth to this, as this is a technique certainly duplicated in the US, Great Britain and elsewhere. Every nation has the right to its own propaganda. However, Vesti also seems to have a lot of fun making fun of other nations’ propaganda, and here they found a great one. Apparently, Ukraine’s propaganda ministry is trying to make the assertion that the Crimean Bridge collapsed and its debris is floating around in the Kerch Strait, “with the tectonic plates.”
See for yourself.
According to Ukrainian scientists and even “psychics”, this bridge is doomed to fall into the Kerch Strait once a sufficient earthquake hits it. Some claims appear even to say that the bridge already is not there, or at least, is not there in the way the Russian news sources have described it.
Of course, the VESTI team erupts into its famous snark, talking about how the bridge is very much alive and well and that it is the new “pride of Russia,” and so on.
This bridge is indeed quite an engineering feat, being completed only about three years after the rejoining / annexation / invasion / hostile takeover / or was it a voluntary referendum? of Crimea to the Russian Federation. This is a rapid speed for such a major project, but it is not very unusual for such projects to progress rather quickly when they are done with a will.
Burj Khalifa (formerly Burj Dubai) is presently by far the tallest building in the world, reaching skyward 828 meters, over half a mile into the sky. It took a little over four years to construct this landmark building, and it was done steadily and with a will to completion. Its would-be successor is not having as smooth an experience, for the Jeddah Tower in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, has hit problems, and even though this tower is projected to go only about 130 meter higher (reaching a significant milestone of one kilometer tall), its construction started in 2013, and as of the latest update, only 63 floors are completed.
The Crimean Bridge was built with a will to make a point, presumably to Ukraine, the rest of Russia and the world:
This is the New Russia. Look what we can do!
And, they did a marvelous feat of engineering in a very short time.
VESTI indeed does try to make some people feel better by pointing out the problems of other countries. Sometimes that is a distraction. But sometimes it is worth a serious bit of consideration.
Ukraine has a leader most of its people apparently cannot stand, who is a warmonger and a crybaby at the same time, begging the West for help while breathing threats against Russia.
While there are no doubt many, many wonderful people there trying to do wonderful things, it does seem to be that the country is suffering because of its willingness to be a pawn of the West. Russia is feeling the Western squeeze and it is not pleasant, but the Russians also seem to know that they can get themselves through this, and so they have reason to be glad when the country makes a good accomplishment such as the Crimean Bridge. The political and geopolitical importance of this project is such that it is very likely that all sorts of great engineering went into the bridge. It is prudent, and Russians seem to understand prudence very, very well.
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
“According to Ukrainian scientists and even psychics, this bridge is doomed to fall into the Kerch Strait once a sufficient earthquake hits it.” What happens to the Kerch Bridge if a strong earthquake should hit the region remains to be seen. However, I do not think that this region is prone to earthquakes. I do not know of any earthquakes there, in the past 100 years. Of course a strong earthquake can be provoked by electromagnetic weapons. I doubt that Ukraine can do this, they have no such weapons as they are a nearly bankrupt failed state, but their “western… Read more »
Re earthquakes in the region, I found this: Seismic activity in the area is a further consideration and this influence the decision to use vertical and inclined piles installed on the project. “Once every few thousand years, the Kerch Strait may experience an earthquake with a magnitude of up to 9. That is a tiny possibility, but the architects of the bridge have made room for it, too. To make the bridge more earthquake-resistant, we insert tube piles into the ground not only vertically, but also at an angle. So every bridge pier effectively sits on a sheaf, or a… Read more »
Any bridge can be blown up with sufficient explosives and you can always call that explosion “an earthquake”.
Meanwhile, if it is true that earthquakes can be caused with electromagnetic weapons, then we really no longer know if Fukushima was natural or “assisted” by the USA as a way to decimate Japan’s economy. The US has been researching such methods as a way to protect its hegemony where competitors are allies and as a means to devastate countries that are hostile but offer no cause for war of aggression.
Some said it was done by the Yanks because Japan was getting really cozy with Iran. They helped in the building of reactors there.