Samuel Moncada, Venezuela’s Ambassador In London, Personally Responds To Emails

This about Politics, tagged , , was written by for , on March 8, 2013 .No Comments

Not sure you can say that of many national ambassadors! This is what I wrote to this email for expressing condolences on Chavez’s passing: After a heroic battle with cancer, Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías has shuffled off this mortal coil, but his dream will endure forever and continue giving hope unto the hearts of men and women all […]

What I Learned From Freedom House…

This about Politics, tagged , , , , , was written by for , on March 5, 2013 .4 Comments

My latest for the US-Russia Experts Panel and VoR. In this latest Panel, Vlad Sobell asks us supposed Russia “experts” whether Freedom House’s “alarmist stance” towards Russia is justified. Well, what do YOU think? I don’t think you need to be an expert to answer this; it’s an elementary issue of common sense and face […]

My Article For Komsomolskaya Pravda On Press Freedoms In Russia And The West

This , about Media, tagged , , , , , was written by for , on February 5, 2013 .4 Comments

Here it is in Russian: Вверх-вниз по рейтингу свободы. This translation here is of a longer version at my Russian language blog. A version of it also appears on Voice of Russia: Press freedom – on both sides of the Information Curtain. Thanks to Alexei Pankin (who is a regular at Komsomolskaya) for making it happen – and […]

Статья для «Комсомолки»: Вверх-вниз по Рейтингу Свободы

This about Media, tagged , , , , , , was written by for on February 5, 2013 .No Comments

Спасибо Алексею Панкину за возможность расместить мою статью в одной из самых популярных газет в России (и за заглавье!), и Александру Меркурису за несколько идей и красивых оборотов речи. Читайте здесь: Вверх-вниз по рейтингу свободы. Ниже расположена более длинная версия, так как комсомольцы сильно сократили оригинал из соображений краткости: Недавно французская правозащитная организация «Reporters sans frontières» обнародовала […]

A Chess Game To The Death

This about Geopolitics, tagged , , , was written by for , on January 29, 2013 .4 Comments

I am back to writing for the US-Russia.org Expert Discussion Panel, which since my hiatus has found an additional home at Voice of Russia. The latest topic was on whether Russia, China, and the West could find a common approach to the challenges of the Arab Spring. My response is pessimistic, as in my view Western […]

The Flight From Reason – The West’s Cold War Against Russia

This about Geopolitics, tagged , , , , was written by for , on October 23, 2012 .50 Comments

My latest contribution to the US-Russia.org Expert Discussion Panel this one focusing on whether the West foregoes “incalculable benefits” by continuing the Cold War. Unlike previous Panels, on which I aimed for balance, here I make no apologies at pointing a finger straight to where I believe the blame belongs: I recently began reading Martin Malia’s Russia under […]

So Apparently Germany Is A Christian Theocracy

This about Society, tagged , , , , , was written by for on September 28, 2012 .3 Comments

At least if you take Michael Bohm’s arguments in his latest Moscow Times missive on how Russia Is Turning Into Iran to its logical conclusion. Look, I’m not a fan of blasphemy laws. The First Amendment is a wonderful thing and something that makes the US truly great… even exceptional, to an extent. Although it should […]

Authoritarian Parallels

This about Politics, tagged , , , , , was written by for on August 30, 2012 .2 Comments

One of the main theses of this blog is that in many respects, Russia is far more similar to the the “West” (and vice versa) than various democratists would have you believe. Case in point (h/t Jon Hellevig): When GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney visited an Ohio coal mine this month to promote jobs in the […]

Assange Should Have Picked The Russian Embassy

This about Politics, tagged , , , , , was written by for on August 16, 2012 .23 Comments

UK police descend on Assange’s embassy refuge. According to the Ecuadorians, their Embassy was threatened with a revocation of its status as Ecuadorian sovereign territory in the case that President Rafael Correa offers Julian Assange political asylum. This would clear the way for PC Plod could go in and fish out Assange. Presumably this is to avoid breaking […]

Legal Analysis Of The Pussy Riot Case

This about Society, tagged , , , , was written by for on August 8, 2012 .8 Comments

Alex Mercouris has penned a long and extremely erudite analysis of the case against Pussy Riot. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Go, read. There are just a few things I would add: (1) I think one of the closest historical analogues to this case in Anglo world is the 2 month imprisonment of Nicolas […]

Alex Mercouris Untangles Syria

This about Geopolitics, tagged , , was written by for on June 23, 2012 .No Comments

He has an excellent article over at his blog discussing the motivations behind the Western smearing of Russia for supporting – well, not opposing – Assad, against the Islamist insurgent freedom fighters. I highly recommend you read the article Russia, Syria, and the West in full; as Mark Chapman correctly notes in the comments, if you […]

The World’s Sleaziest Magazine Plumbs New Lows

This about Media, tagged , , , , was written by for on June 19, 2012 .15 Comments

I really can’t figure what this Economist editorial reeks more of: Hypocrisy, mendacity, or pure delusion? That is as it should be, for since his decision last autumn to return to the Kremlin, Mr Putin has been stridently negative and anti-Western, most recently over Syria (see article) Being anti-Western is “negative”, even for daring to oppose […]