Eating In Russian Kitchens

“The Secrets of Russian Cuisine.”

This is a more elegant phrase employed by Western publishers to render a rather genteel english translation of the title of a book by East German Spymaster Markus Wolf, which was really called “Secrets of the Russian Kitchen.”

The subtle, nuanced difference, is that of the difference between a culinary art, and the results or consequences that require to be hidden, concerning what scullery maids get up to with the lord of the manor.

Personally, I'd love to categorically delineate who I think are 'the good guys' and who 'the bad.' Unfortunately of course, it is impossible to shake off those romantic myths and legends from the mindsets of the ordinary folk. I speak of myths and tales by which those who steer the course of State - exploit and manipulate the masses. The James Bond myth. The noble english lord myth. The honest policeman myth... The licence granted by the State...

A Great Russian Design

But look here, when you understand that the upper echelons of recent United Kingdom political leadership consists of mostly sunset industry moghuls – to put it at its very kindest – then you may begin to see that a huge tobacco company, for instance, is staring down the barrel of a total laying waste to the lifestyle that its bosses a long time ago became accustomed to... And that, it's entirely possible that those bosses in their social 'kitchen cabinetting' with political and even government, administrative, senior executives, asked for some leeway or relief from the rules and from the law, in order to protect their revenue and their lifestyle. And far be it from me to suggest that they might have been able to unduly influence the answers given, and/or the future policy of government!

However I have no such illusions about Russian realpolitik or at least, realforeignpolitik.

I am quite certain that Marcus Wolf had long established a system and a regime of generating, educating, or cultivating deep cover operatives who were aimed very specifically, at the very highest echelons of establishment power all around the world.

In my personal view, this establishment, asked for and got, during the Thatcher era, not a 'licence to kill,' but a 'licence to thieve...' And I further think that this misbehaviour has extended into the present climate of fear of terrorism in all its reputed forms – from home-grown nutjob to full-blown external sovereign insertions – in order to exploit this justification regarding 'saving us all from terrorists,' as the moral behind why some big players and their guided missile men, are allowed to defraud, forge, hack into, and steal from, whoever they designate as an 'open season target.'

But, as they say in the sporting world in which I sometimes dwell: "don't forget while you're thinking that you are invincible, that the other team is also going to turn up on the day and play too."

One of the very largest top echelon companies in England is Hanson PLC – a first class asset stripper that would make Mitt Romney blush. Baron Hanson partnered with a certain Lord White of Hull to form Hanson Trust originally. But – neither Hanson nor White are what I would call genuine aristocrats. There was a something-or-other of Hull, but that was long ago, before the Constable of London, Oliver Cromwell, did away with his opponents in the real aristocracy. And so all these modern this, that, and the other of so-an-so a place in England somewhere (and sometimes not even!) are all manufactured 'life peerages' handed out during Thatcher and afterward too, generally on account of massive successes in asset stripping, vast redundancies, abandonment of research and development, and grabbing their hands onto a lot of immediate CASH.

But the game of chess is slow and terribly fair.

Listen to me – I don't need anything Julian Assange has in order to kick the establishment in the balls.

Here is a picture of the young inheritor of the Hanson Empire – Robert Hanson – a wonderful fellow, highly-educated at the very best of toffy schools, wealthy beyond your, yay even YOUR dreams, and his wife the onetime Russian model Masha Markova.

Now when I say that certain people have been doing some bad stuff that involves gross illegality, I literally do mean exactly that. And sad to say, the police and the courts and government agencies and bureaucracies have protected them. Just as in the days of old Cromwell – who also, was saving the honest citizenry from the terrible misdeeds of tyrants and the unfaithful. Young Hanson is not guilty of anything that I am aware of, but I do rather think that he is now a leaky sieve, as it were, in a Russian kitchen, so to speak. Or, if not, very like unto those situations of a similar kind then that strangely enough involve some bright young thing, of very very well-trained origin. If you know what I mean.

Well, I think 'watch this space' is inadequate; I confidently predict for you, the utter demise of many once-were establishment lords and kings. And dare I say, I notice a few luxury product websites prognosticating that SINGAPORE, of all places, 'may by 2050 be the wealthiest nation on earth.' Oh, okay then. However, I always like to underscore the strong connection between London City and Singapore's oligarchic 'elite.' One falls from this sort of tree they all will fall. And that will be the end of that! The cause of my animus? Oh dear. Just stop listening to the myth-making! There is no James Bond. There has never ever been a James Bond. There is a BP, a British American Tobacco, and a Philip Morris, a Hanson Trust, and so on, though. And none of them are working for the taxpayer or the citizen. And no politician who goes along for their ride is looking after your interests. And the reason there is a banking problem today, is precisely because in stealing from everyone, the 'elite' has lost all capacity to use its brains. If Marcus Wolf were alive today, I'd be eating in his kitchen everyday. HE was the suave and cultured superspy. And HE has descendents even now.

I'm just an observer though, who once had uncles in the oil business, who left me with the luxury of being able to know a few handy names, and sit around a lot and 'read the play.'