Aliia Roza

This is not my usual tax blog. I listened to the podcast below (The Shawn Ryan Show) and wanted to reflect on it a little.

Here is the full podcast that I just listened to. It’s long (about 3.5 hours), but once I started listening to it, I couldn’t stop because I couldn’t believe my ears that all this was happening in reality. James Bond-style spy movies pale in comparison to this story.

What is the story about?

Since 2020, a Russian citizen living in the US (Aliia Roza, which is not her real name, of course) has been studying in a special program in Russia that trains people to infiltrate the beds of leading government officials, criminal groups, or business representatives and obtain information in this way. G.k. Russia’s neighboring countries, etc. in Europe.

What does this have to do with taxes?

Just a side note - one interesting aspect of the whole story was about the Russian criminal group she had infiltrated. There was also a special rule that each gang member had to share with the whole group for their common needs. If I heard correctly, it was 10%. They called it a common pot or something like that. (обшаг). So even groups like this understand that without a common pot, they cannot survive. Why would anyone (for example, the electricians who recently helped me at home and asked for payment (not a small amount - EUR 500) only in cash and without paperwork) still doubt that our society also needs a ‘common pot’? Why do criminals pay that 10%? Because they need the protection of the group and there will be serious consequences for not paying. Obviously, the electrician does not feel the need for ‘protection’ and is used to ‘free’ emergency services or schools, but most importantly, there are no consequences.

But that’s not what this story is about

I was very hesitant about writing this at all. Many major media outlets, such as The Times, The NY Post, and others, have also written about this. However, in the current geopolitical situation, it seemed important to spread this story, because it left a bad taste in my mouth—what kind of country is this next door to us, where such people are trained at the state level?

Not to mention the twisted thinking of people who (like Aliia Roza’s father) willingly support such a military system and even involve their daughters in it, knowing that they will be raped there and that people are being trained there. Aliia Roza herself said that about 10% of women participate in these military spy training courses and that they are all “trained” in this way. She herself willingly continues her ‘training’ there, even after realizing what awaits her both during her ‘training’ and after its completion.

At least from what she herself said, it was clear that she is intelligent and has always been a good student, which means that the whole world was open to her—she could have pursued any ‘normal’ profession. I was simply shocked (perhaps I am too naive). Some kind of evil empire, a world comparable to the dark mirror world of the Stranger Things series (today, by the way, the latest and final episode of this series is being released).

Methods

To begin ‘processing’ their target, they observe the person for about three months and research all the information available about them. Right down to the number of sugar spoons in their coffee. They even go and talk to the target’s teachers and other possible sources of information. She even mentioned a website where, for a few dollars, much of this information is already available in summary form. Some of the techniques—involving rehearsed scenes that the “target” sees on a daily basis—sounded really creative. However, much of what was said and seemed ‘revolutionary’ also seemed rather primitive.

What is said must be filtered

Of course, much of what is said must be filtered - who said it and why. She presents it as a way to draw attention to herself in order to stop the Russian special services from asking her to continue performing various intelligence tasks. However, has her confused mind suddenly become loyal to the values of democratic countries (which I hope we are also striving for)? I don’t believe that for a moment.

Rhetorical question

On the Quora portal, I occasionally come across photos from World War II concentration camps. As far as I can tell, for example, from this podcast (be careful with this one, because the co-author of the podcast To Die For is Aliia Roza herself), this (bed) method has also been used in Israel and elsewhere. And I still can’t understand how people can be so cruel to each other. Maybe that’s why it’s worth paying taxes to reduce the possibility of something like that happening here?

Happy and peaceful New Year!