By John Helmer, Moscow US statutes require the registration of American agents who are acting for foreign companies or foreign individuals in an attempt to influence US legislation, political debate, or government decision-making in favour of their clients’ interests. Camouflage and concealment are unlawful, and can verge on espionage in the minds of some US […]

by John Helmer - Tuesday, November 2nd, 2010
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By John Helmer in Moscow The US Government has decided not to let Victor Vekselberg off so easily. The US District Attorney for the Southern District of New York (Manhattan) has filed for an extension of time to allow the Justice Department in Washington to consider a detailed brief, arguing that Vekselberg should face the […]

by John Helmer - Sunday, October 17th, 2010
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By John Helmer in Moscow Prospectuses are like lap dances. It’s necessary to keep one’s distance so that the baser instincts don’t cloud one’s better judgement. In a recent West Country court ruling, a lap-dancing bar lost an appeal of the revocation of its adult entertainment licence. The club claimed its lap-dancers were lawfully adhering […]

by John Helmer - Friday, October 15th, 2010
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By John Helmer in Moscow The US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (New York) decided yesterday that the US racketeering statute can reach Russian wrongdoers only if their deeds are done on American territory. Running the loot, laundering, or spending it through US banks and bank accounts, or on American real estate and […]

by John Helmer - Wednesday, September 29th, 2010
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by John Helmer - Thursday, July 29th, 2010
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By John Helmer in Moscow When US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton presided at the original button ceremony in Geneva on March 6, 2009, on the button she presented Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was written the word, in Latin letters, PEREGRUZKA. In Russian, that doesn’t mean RESET, as much of the subsequent reporting of the […]

by John Helmer - Wednesday, July 14th, 2010
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By John Helmer in Moscow President Dmitry Medvedev is lying when he claims that his modernization slogan, under which he is running for re-appointment by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, means free and fair competition; security for foreign investment; and private ownership in place of state control. I mean lying, as in lying on the fakir’s […]

by John Helmer - Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010
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By John Helmer in Moscow Two chickens were lying side by side in the refrigerator case of a Moscow shop in the Soviet year of 1988. One, American, was plump and cheerful; the other, Russian, was scrawny and sarcastic. “I’m so much fitter than you,” said the American to the Russian. “Well, at least I […]

by John Helmer - Tuesday, March 9th, 2010
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By John Helmer in Moscow In the long history of collapsing empires, there is a golden rule. If and when the outflow of wealth to the foreign concessions or colonies exceeds the wealth that flows back to Empire HQ, the empire is on its last legs. There is one modification of this rule; it’s for […]

by John Helmer - Thursday, February 25th, 2010
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By John Helmer in Moscow The Russian Trade and Inspection Agency (Rospotrebnadzor) has initiated new chlorine limits for poultry processing, commencing this month. The effect will be to cut imports well below the quota levels announced last month, especially of US-produced chicken. The new Russian chlorine limit is 0.3 to 0.5 milligrams per litre, which […]

by John Helmer - Tuesday, January 12th, 2010
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