[struwwelpeter]

Well, excuse me for missing the forest for the all the trees.

A few definitions:

Masquerade is actually maskarad, whereas maskirovka, markirovanie are closer to camouflage. Obman and lozh' mean deception, pokazukha is a charade. And of course, don't forget dezinformatisya, misinformation. Russian is such a pretty language ;-)

I wrote a paper for Intel Threat and Analysis Center (AIA) on maskirovka, and unfortunately used all the definitions you and Yahoo listed. Got an AAM but got it wrong.

Twenty years later I went drinking with a retired colonel from KGB/FSB, who asked me what I knew about maskirovka (he kept calling it maskirovochka) I gave him the Yahoo definition and he laughed. His definition (perhaps, dezinformatsiya?) was that maskirovochka is basic tactical counter-espionage, such as wearing the wrong shoulderboards or changing a pilot billet suffix or radio callsign. Strategic deception, at least in his definition, was just that, strategiya. Second nature to a people that grew up more with Chess than Checkers.

I suppose for his "crimes against humanity" I should have made him buy the vodka and snacks. Likewise, those evil Red Army stars should be cast into the smelter, but to most they are symbols of the triumph of the Russian people over fascism. When I asked a Ukrainian lady why they keep up all the Lenin statues in the Donbas region, she said "because it's our history."

And I still remain optimistic about Eastern Europe. More so than the Western side.

[fourdeuce82d]

Got an AAM but got it wrong.

At least I'm in good company.

I suppose for his "crimes against humanity" I should have made him buy the vodka and snacks.

I dunno, in '84 i met a guy in Sochi I suspect was or had been GRU (english speaking tour guide, claimed to be "privet soldier", but could do a spot-on call for fire in Enlgish. With a southern accent. ) and we tied one on. I bought, and was happy to. Fun guy. Never felt "Josef Commie" was my enemy- always thought it was the nomenklatura types.

Whether we call it maskarad, maskirovka, markirovanie, Obman, lozh', pokazukha, dezinformatisy, or strategiya...what's your take on this thread? Do you believe that the apparent collapse of the Soviet Union was what we in the West have taken it to be, or do you believe it is a clever ruse to lull us into complacency?

[JudgemAll]

"because it's our history."

hmm, or is it "because it's our mistory."

Gees, I can't wait to see the statue of Hitler in Germany because it is their historical vengence against the communists... (sarcasm)

[JudgemAll]

I suppose for his "crimes against humanity"

The issue is crimes against the truth, not against a vague and superstitious view of humanity.

[JudgemAll]

And I still remain optimistic about Eastern Europe. More so than the Western side.

THe West has lost some of the "Know thyself" momentum, but gathering from your input, it surely does not need your help nor to take account of your assessments.