Depressing or not, your weekend columns are welcomed. How else can we understand the day-to-day madness if we don't read/hear thoughtful insights and analysis from those in the know?
I don't know whether to laugh or to cry. The author of a depressing Substack on depressing topics that only masochists are inclined to read becomes himself so hopeless that he questions why anyone wants to read what he writes and furthermore why/whether he wants to write it.
Maybe the operative word here is "wants." Speaking for myself, no, I do not WANT to read depressing articles, and I understand why you do not WANT to write them. Nonetheless, I NEED to understand these matters, as depressing as the current state of them is, and I hope that you NEED to communicate that depressing state to anyone who NEEDs to understand it.
We too often turn a blind eye to the abyss, increasing the likelihood that we will fall into it. Better to acknowledge and to understand that we are edging toward the precipice, while we can perhaps correct course, than to be dumb-founded as we plunge into 'unforeseen' catastrophe. Many catastrophes are foreseeable: the financial crisis, Russia's invasion of Ukraine (good god! Putin had been telegraphing that one for over a decade!), the devastating effects of climate change (over a half-century of warnings about that one), even Hamas' assault on Israel (I mean, really, they publicly posted videos of training exercises!). Ignorance is bliss only until the moment it bites you in the ass.
A spoonful of sugar may help the medicine go down, but we've become a people who WANT all sugar all the time. Failing to take our medicine insures that we will eventually embrace the sugar-high of our ignorance so thoroughly that we'll succumb to whatever "rough beast slouches toward" Washington to be reborn (Thinking of you, DJT!).
In 1988, I was on an IREX fellowship in Moscow, working to revise my Ph.D. One of my agricultural reform case studies was in Mykolaiv (Nikolaev) oblast of Ukraine. My designated counterpart at VASKhNiL, a graduate student, asked me several times to check my sources, as he didn’t think there was a Nikolaev oblast’ in the USSR. The “Ukraine doesn’t exist” canard is not new.
Sam, many thanks for your posts. I can imagine it is hard to write them because you are always questioning yourself, as well as others. But.... they are no more depressing than the reality. I like them because they are intellectually challenging and because I have learnt a lot more about Russia and American politics . What’s not to like? Except for the music tips. Sorry, put it down to my age/experiences or something! Please keep going. I get disappointed when I don’t see the weekly post.
I came across Mr Greene in an interview he gave to CBC published on Friday March 15th. I usually keep my thoughts to myself and definitely avoid expressing opinions online. But after hearing Mr Greene pushing a total and utter nonsense about the current situation in Russia, I couldn't but at least write this note.
I have to question the legitimacy of the sources Mr Greene is using to base his thesis on. I have deep roots and connections in the Russian society. I am not Russian, but lived there during the USSR times and travelled the country to an extent few foreigners were able to do. From Bielorrusia to Magadan.
In my opinion, none of the facts he expressed regarding Russian elections correspond to the slightest to the reality on the ground
On the benefits and risks of the Mideast conflict for Russia, see also this piece: Mideast War: Blessing and Curse for Russia
In some ways the Israeli-Palestinian conflict likely benefits Vladimir Putin’s leadership. But it also magnifies potentially destabilizing ethnic and social tensions within Russia
Depressing or not, your weekend columns are welcomed. How else can we understand the day-to-day madness if we don't read/hear thoughtful insights and analysis from those in the know?
I don't know whether to laugh or to cry. The author of a depressing Substack on depressing topics that only masochists are inclined to read becomes himself so hopeless that he questions why anyone wants to read what he writes and furthermore why/whether he wants to write it.
Maybe the operative word here is "wants." Speaking for myself, no, I do not WANT to read depressing articles, and I understand why you do not WANT to write them. Nonetheless, I NEED to understand these matters, as depressing as the current state of them is, and I hope that you NEED to communicate that depressing state to anyone who NEEDs to understand it.
We too often turn a blind eye to the abyss, increasing the likelihood that we will fall into it. Better to acknowledge and to understand that we are edging toward the precipice, while we can perhaps correct course, than to be dumb-founded as we plunge into 'unforeseen' catastrophe. Many catastrophes are foreseeable: the financial crisis, Russia's invasion of Ukraine (good god! Putin had been telegraphing that one for over a decade!), the devastating effects of climate change (over a half-century of warnings about that one), even Hamas' assault on Israel (I mean, really, they publicly posted videos of training exercises!). Ignorance is bliss only until the moment it bites you in the ass.
A spoonful of sugar may help the medicine go down, but we've become a people who WANT all sugar all the time. Failing to take our medicine insures that we will eventually embrace the sugar-high of our ignorance so thoroughly that we'll succumb to whatever "rough beast slouches toward" Washington to be reborn (Thinking of you, DJT!).
In 1988, I was on an IREX fellowship in Moscow, working to revise my Ph.D. One of my agricultural reform case studies was in Mykolaiv (Nikolaev) oblast of Ukraine. My designated counterpart at VASKhNiL, a graduate student, asked me several times to check my sources, as he didn’t think there was a Nikolaev oblast’ in the USSR. The “Ukraine doesn’t exist” canard is not new.
I miss these columns, as they’ve become less frequent. There’s nothing quite like them and they’re always an interesting read.
Sam, many thanks for your posts. I can imagine it is hard to write them because you are always questioning yourself, as well as others. But.... they are no more depressing than the reality. I like them because they are intellectually challenging and because I have learnt a lot more about Russia and American politics . What’s not to like? Except for the music tips. Sorry, put it down to my age/experiences or something! Please keep going. I get disappointed when I don’t see the weekly post.
I came across Mr Greene in an interview he gave to CBC published on Friday March 15th. I usually keep my thoughts to myself and definitely avoid expressing opinions online. But after hearing Mr Greene pushing a total and utter nonsense about the current situation in Russia, I couldn't but at least write this note.
I have to question the legitimacy of the sources Mr Greene is using to base his thesis on. I have deep roots and connections in the Russian society. I am not Russian, but lived there during the USSR times and travelled the country to an extent few foreigners were able to do. From Bielorrusia to Magadan.
In my opinion, none of the facts he expressed regarding Russian elections correspond to the slightest to the reality on the ground
I wish we had more of your notes. This was my "go-to" place to understand Russia.
On the benefits and risks of the Mideast conflict for Russia, see also this piece: Mideast War: Blessing and Curse for Russia
In some ways the Israeli-Palestinian conflict likely benefits Vladimir Putin’s leadership. But it also magnifies potentially destabilizing ethnic and social tensions within Russia
https://nattothoughts.substack.com/p/mideast-war-blessing-and-curse-for
I read all your public posts