Any time when the subject of the disputable for Russia and Japan Kurile Islands is mentioned — no matter while having a mug of beer in a smoked up pub or during the “roundtable” in the shining halls — there are always some know-it-all persons (be it politicians or the average men) who know for sure what to do with these islands. It's same as with a football: few people are actually playing, but millions are, allegedly, know everything about the matter.
There are several wide-spread myths about what Russians should do with the Islands, which are situated so far even from the citizens of the Russian Far East that they are perceived like something abstract and almost unachievable for most of Russian citizens.
The first myth: these islands are four rocks in the middle of the ocean, which no one actually need.
The second myth: Russians may bargain these islands for a while and then profitably sell them to Japan for a huge amount of money, which later can be used to enrich Russians.
The third myth: Russians have to give up the islands, because they are not actually their — they've just allegedly occupied them during the transient war against Japan in August 1945. Note that nobody's talking about the returning of the Southern Sakhalin, which was occupied at the similar time. Perhaps, because Japan doesn't demand it, does it?
Everything is mixed up in these myths: views of the average citizens, plans of politicians, dilettantism of the journalists and even some of the scientists. The idea of selling the islands for a big sum of money can be easily rejected. Nobody in Japan is going to actually buy the islands. They are not willing even to discuss this matter! It is so because the Japanese demand to “return” them their “Northern territories” as they call the Southern Kurile Islands.
Not so bad a solution is to turn the Kuriles into a ecotourist paradise . Probably it could help not only to stop the border quarrels, but also to improve ecological situation in the region.
http://www.win.ru/en/school/2910.phtml
Monday, May 31, 2010
Old wrinkles on the new face of American diplomacy
A curios case, having taken place at the meeting of the heads of foreign policy institutes, held on March, 6 2009, today is usually called symbolic. At that time the American delegation make a present for the Russian party, made in a form of red push-button, which reminded the audience about the “nuclear weapon” push-button and the Cold war confrontation. However, according to the author’s idea, the souvenir should have symbolized the beginning of the new age of US-Russian relations, for this it was planned to engrave the Russian equivalent to the word “reset” (“perezagruzka”). However there was a mistake in translation, and the Russian delegation was offered to “overload” the bilateral relations instead of “reloading” them. Against the background of the events, having taken place the last year, the linguistic error of the American administration seems to be prophetic – the relations of the two countries are really overloaded by the number of fundamental contradictions.
The questions on which the Russian and US politicians unsuccessfully try to reach compromise hardly could be called easily solved - they are too many and too complicated. Minor achievements on minor issues do not mean that overall "reloading" of US-Russia relations is gathering speed. Big unsolved problems like renewing European security system, Russia's accession to WTO, stagnant Russia-NATO dialogue are pulling our bilaterla relations to underworld.
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/old-wrinkles-new-face-american-diplomacy
The questions on which the Russian and US politicians unsuccessfully try to reach compromise hardly could be called easily solved - they are too many and too complicated. Minor achievements on minor issues do not mean that overall "reloading" of US-Russia relations is gathering speed. Big unsolved problems like renewing European security system, Russia's accession to WTO, stagnant Russia-NATO dialogue are pulling our bilaterla relations to underworld.
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/old-wrinkles-new-face-american-diplomacy
Rood quarrel
April of 2010 has been marked as an important milestone of German politics: for the first time a female German citizen of Turkish origin took the position of a minister. Although that was not a federal appointment – 38-year old Aygul Ozkan took the position of the minister for social issues and integration problems of Lower Saxony – the event immediately drew attention of German society. One of the reasons of such attention is a not very long but quite symptomatic political scandal Aygul Ozkan got involved into right after the appointment: she made a statement in which she demanded to remove roods from school classrooms. Both this appointment and the following scandal demonstrate quite peculiar tendencies of modern German politics, which are truly worth discussing.
Could this appointment be considered a similar milestone as Barack Obama's election to a sacred study in Capitolium? I doubt so: both German politicians and Mrs. Ozkan herself admit that her appointment should attract Turks' votes in coming Landtag elections.
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/rood-quarrel
Could this appointment be considered a similar milestone as Barack Obama's election to a sacred study in Capitolium? I doubt so: both German politicians and Mrs. Ozkan herself admit that her appointment should attract Turks' votes in coming Landtag elections.
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/rood-quarrel
Sunday, May 30, 2010
The world that changed after 1945
In his book book "Lend Lease: Weapon for Victory" E. Stettinius conceived the following grounds of the after-war world and the peaceful U. S policy in it: "When we were not the United Nations and everyone was by himself, all we had were the misfortunes and defeats. Having become the United Nations, we’ve intercepted the enemy’s initiative and now we are winning. It doesn’t matter, how many months of struggle are ahead — until we’re together the day is undoubtedly ours.
What will we be capable of since we reach this victory — that depends from whether we’d be able to conclude peace the same way we’ve fought against the aggression, remaining to be the United Nations. For the last 30 months, since 11th of March, 1941 we’ve received plenty of evidences that our unity can work the miracles. We’ve avoided the catastrophe, which could’ve postponed the liberation for centuries and we’ve gained a great opportunity to achieve the better future for the humanity. We’d only be able to use this opportunity if we stay united.
One might ask why the matter of the possibility of our future cooperation is being raised at all. If we won thanks to our unity, it would be a terrible mockery if we’d suffer a defeat during the peace time, having failed to keep our unity! Then all our losses, all the sacrifices made by those who lived and fought for the victory, would be really in vain.
But if we’ve learned how to fight back-to-back, we still might learn how to cooperate after the war. Of course we’ll face difficulties, contradictions and conflicts of interests. But there’s really nothing new or incredibly awful in it. Such matters can be solved to the mutual benefit. I think that those Americans who doubt that — and that is very odd in my opinion — do not have the faith in our ability to use our power wisely and for the common good in the international relations.
What are we to be afraid of? Rivalry with the Great Britain? We’ll hope that it would be a fair competition — competition in fight for prosperity of our own and all the other countries. After the victory in this war our country can hardly be afraid of any competition. We would have the tremendous material resources and the industrial power at our disposal as the country that didn’t suffer from the enemy attacks, country whose citizens can make business with people all over the world, country that know a lot about the life of other nations thanks to the millions of our compatriots living abroad. The English fear of competition can be understandable as they’ve suffered heavy economic and military losses. However, Englishmen are great businessmen as well and they would find the strength to restore their economy and we are interested in them to succeed at that. Great economic prospects are opening up before everyone who lives in a free and prospering world.
"Are we afraid of the communism in Russia? Why on earth do we have to be afraid of it? Do we have so little faith in our form of leadership and don’t we understand how much good did the free entrepreneurship, regulated for the sake of democracy, brought to our country? We have been working on our experiment for more than 150 years already — and we will keep walking our way, so the Soviets are free to work at their own experiment. We don’t have a single reason to be afraid of Russia. We’d just benefit from the friendship and the mutually profitable cooperation with it".
Are we afraid of the revival of China? Of course, not. China has been the most peaceful of all the great nations for the last 2000 years. New China can be considered to be the moral leader of the United Nations in the sense of understanding of what should we do for the sake of establishing the international cooperation.
After concluding the peace, Americans would have nothing to be afraid of, except, probably, the lack of faith in themselves and their own country. If we’re ready to continue our wartime cooperation even during the peace time, the rest of the world will be glad to cooperate with us for the sake of the common benefit.
All the United Nations have subscribed to the goals, proclaimed in the Atlantic Charter and the Declaration of the United Nations that can be briefly formulated as the freedom of speech, religious freedom, and freedom from poverty and fear. We cannot reach these goals at once — the path that leads to them is long and thorny, but they are still as much worthy and real as the goals of our Declaration of Independence. We cannot reach the strong and lasting peace without reaching them. History of humanity gives us the evidence that peace and prosperity are incompatible with the tyranny, poverty and fear".
The article I link here goes further and offers possible scenarios of USSR development after the victory in the Second World war.
http://www.win.ru/en/Mysteries-of-History/3331.phtml
What will we be capable of since we reach this victory — that depends from whether we’d be able to conclude peace the same way we’ve fought against the aggression, remaining to be the United Nations. For the last 30 months, since 11th of March, 1941 we’ve received plenty of evidences that our unity can work the miracles. We’ve avoided the catastrophe, which could’ve postponed the liberation for centuries and we’ve gained a great opportunity to achieve the better future for the humanity. We’d only be able to use this opportunity if we stay united.
One might ask why the matter of the possibility of our future cooperation is being raised at all. If we won thanks to our unity, it would be a terrible mockery if we’d suffer a defeat during the peace time, having failed to keep our unity! Then all our losses, all the sacrifices made by those who lived and fought for the victory, would be really in vain.
But if we’ve learned how to fight back-to-back, we still might learn how to cooperate after the war. Of course we’ll face difficulties, contradictions and conflicts of interests. But there’s really nothing new or incredibly awful in it. Such matters can be solved to the mutual benefit. I think that those Americans who doubt that — and that is very odd in my opinion — do not have the faith in our ability to use our power wisely and for the common good in the international relations.
What are we to be afraid of? Rivalry with the Great Britain? We’ll hope that it would be a fair competition — competition in fight for prosperity of our own and all the other countries. After the victory in this war our country can hardly be afraid of any competition. We would have the tremendous material resources and the industrial power at our disposal as the country that didn’t suffer from the enemy attacks, country whose citizens can make business with people all over the world, country that know a lot about the life of other nations thanks to the millions of our compatriots living abroad. The English fear of competition can be understandable as they’ve suffered heavy economic and military losses. However, Englishmen are great businessmen as well and they would find the strength to restore their economy and we are interested in them to succeed at that. Great economic prospects are opening up before everyone who lives in a free and prospering world.
"Are we afraid of the communism in Russia? Why on earth do we have to be afraid of it? Do we have so little faith in our form of leadership and don’t we understand how much good did the free entrepreneurship, regulated for the sake of democracy, brought to our country? We have been working on our experiment for more than 150 years already — and we will keep walking our way, so the Soviets are free to work at their own experiment. We don’t have a single reason to be afraid of Russia. We’d just benefit from the friendship and the mutually profitable cooperation with it".
Are we afraid of the revival of China? Of course, not. China has been the most peaceful of all the great nations for the last 2000 years. New China can be considered to be the moral leader of the United Nations in the sense of understanding of what should we do for the sake of establishing the international cooperation.
After concluding the peace, Americans would have nothing to be afraid of, except, probably, the lack of faith in themselves and their own country. If we’re ready to continue our wartime cooperation even during the peace time, the rest of the world will be glad to cooperate with us for the sake of the common benefit.
All the United Nations have subscribed to the goals, proclaimed in the Atlantic Charter and the Declaration of the United Nations that can be briefly formulated as the freedom of speech, religious freedom, and freedom from poverty and fear. We cannot reach these goals at once — the path that leads to them is long and thorny, but they are still as much worthy and real as the goals of our Declaration of Independence. We cannot reach the strong and lasting peace without reaching them. History of humanity gives us the evidence that peace and prosperity are incompatible with the tyranny, poverty and fear".
The article I link here goes further and offers possible scenarios of USSR development after the victory in the Second World war.
http://www.win.ru/en/Mysteries-of-History/3331.phtml
Ruined freedom
News about another Taliban act of terror in Afghanistan are now perceived by everyone as another informational routine — an average man cares about it just as much as about the monotonous military reports from Iraq. But January 2010 events in Kabul showed the whole world something very important and remarkable: it took place in the very center of the capital, where a lot of international and local security forces were concentrated. It seemed to be the most invulnerable place of all Afghanistan but Taliban dared to send its suicide bombers to organize series of explosions there and even more than that — fierce fights lasted few hours. Despite the fact that attackers were finally killed, there were only 20 of them, according to the "Al-Jazeera" channel information. So Talibs made it absolutely clear that they can rule the roost whenever they want, even in seemingly secure Kabul and even having little number of fighters.
"Indestructible freedom" operation started in October of 2001. Terror attacks of 9/11 became the casus belli for the first Afghanistan bombing initiated by the George Bush Jr. administration. During the first two years of this armed confrontation America has reached some success: it has dislodged Talibs out of the Afghan territory and has established such political powers configuration that was convenient for the USA. But in 2003 Taliban started to revive gradually and finally regain the lost positions. Guerrilla war and numerous acts of terror became the main methods of the movement led by Mullah Omar. All of this caused heavy casualties among the NATO troops and civil population.
Tremendous growth of the opiates production and an increased drug export to the neighboring countries — including Russia where the drugs were trafficked through the territory of the Central-Asian states — became one of the mournful outcomes of the unfinished war. American set — closing their eyes to the massive heroin production of the occupied country — has largely contributed to the quite tolerant attitude of the civil Afghans. When Taliban was at power they’ve managed to control the poppy fields, having profiteered on that, of course.
But now Taliban is raising its head higher and higher and the latest proof of that has been recently given in Kabul. Offensive took place on the day when 14 ministers of the new government were to take the oath. This has just emphasized the well-known fact once again — Taliban is not afraid of the puppet leadership of the country, headed by Hamid Karzai, whom only the laziest ones haven’t blamed for corruptness. Earlier, in autumn of 2009 terrorists have attacked the UN building, also situated in the center of Kabul. 6 members of the UN legation were killed. This act has made the foreigners living in Afghanistan — including those who were really helping out the international forces — to think about the reasonability of their presence over there and few hundreds of them have actually left the country.
So what was it all for? What did NATO troops and Afghan children die for? What did the international community paid billions of dollars for? It seems to be a vicious circle: the more victims this war devours, the more unstable the situation becomes...
http://www.win.ru/en/school/3364.phtml
"Indestructible freedom" operation started in October of 2001. Terror attacks of 9/11 became the casus belli for the first Afghanistan bombing initiated by the George Bush Jr. administration. During the first two years of this armed confrontation America has reached some success: it has dislodged Talibs out of the Afghan territory and has established such political powers configuration that was convenient for the USA. But in 2003 Taliban started to revive gradually and finally regain the lost positions. Guerrilla war and numerous acts of terror became the main methods of the movement led by Mullah Omar. All of this caused heavy casualties among the NATO troops and civil population.
Tremendous growth of the opiates production and an increased drug export to the neighboring countries — including Russia where the drugs were trafficked through the territory of the Central-Asian states — became one of the mournful outcomes of the unfinished war. American set — closing their eyes to the massive heroin production of the occupied country — has largely contributed to the quite tolerant attitude of the civil Afghans. When Taliban was at power they’ve managed to control the poppy fields, having profiteered on that, of course.
But now Taliban is raising its head higher and higher and the latest proof of that has been recently given in Kabul. Offensive took place on the day when 14 ministers of the new government were to take the oath. This has just emphasized the well-known fact once again — Taliban is not afraid of the puppet leadership of the country, headed by Hamid Karzai, whom only the laziest ones haven’t blamed for corruptness. Earlier, in autumn of 2009 terrorists have attacked the UN building, also situated in the center of Kabul. 6 members of the UN legation were killed. This act has made the foreigners living in Afghanistan — including those who were really helping out the international forces — to think about the reasonability of their presence over there and few hundreds of them have actually left the country.
So what was it all for? What did NATO troops and Afghan children die for? What did the international community paid billions of dollars for? It seems to be a vicious circle: the more victims this war devours, the more unstable the situation becomes...
http://www.win.ru/en/school/3364.phtml
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Hostis humani generis
Nowadays oil product transportation at the international level is mainly carried out by sea.
Thus, the sea trade routes are even more important today than several centuries ago when there were a unique mean to carry goods in far distances.
It is ridiculous, though, that a small African country could seriously influence the world oil traffic, causing economic and political problems to many great powers and hastening world financial crisis.
In autumn, 2008 Somalian pirates captured the Saudi tanker “Sirius Star”. As usual they wanted to get a considerable amount of money for freeing the ship. That time the Danish oil company “A.P.Moller-Maersk” had to send about 50 oil-carrying tankers around the Cape of Good Hope (according to experts evaluation, such a route change could increase the delivery term for more than 12 days and the price by 40%), the Norwegian company “Frontline” under the pressure exerted by goods owners had to refuse to use the Suez Canal to pass both its own and freighted ships. Transport companies throughout the world faced the problem of dramatic increase of the transported good insurance prices as well as decline in demand for rent of supertankers to transport goods in the water area of the Gulf of Aden. In light of the growing global financial crisis these complications in the field of sea shipping exacerbated the world economic slowdown.
Almost two years have passed and no oil tanker can feel itself safe in the near of Somalia coast. International institutions are too busy to solve "bigger "problems and do nothing to change the situation.
What do you think should be done there? Will military interference result in second Iraq?
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/hostis-humani-generis-part-1
Thus, the sea trade routes are even more important today than several centuries ago when there were a unique mean to carry goods in far distances.
It is ridiculous, though, that a small African country could seriously influence the world oil traffic, causing economic and political problems to many great powers and hastening world financial crisis.
In autumn, 2008 Somalian pirates captured the Saudi tanker “Sirius Star”. As usual they wanted to get a considerable amount of money for freeing the ship. That time the Danish oil company “A.P.Moller-Maersk” had to send about 50 oil-carrying tankers around the Cape of Good Hope (according to experts evaluation, such a route change could increase the delivery term for more than 12 days and the price by 40%), the Norwegian company “Frontline” under the pressure exerted by goods owners had to refuse to use the Suez Canal to pass both its own and freighted ships. Transport companies throughout the world faced the problem of dramatic increase of the transported good insurance prices as well as decline in demand for rent of supertankers to transport goods in the water area of the Gulf of Aden. In light of the growing global financial crisis these complications in the field of sea shipping exacerbated the world economic slowdown.
Almost two years have passed and no oil tanker can feel itself safe in the near of Somalia coast. International institutions are too busy to solve "bigger "problems and do nothing to change the situation.
What do you think should be done there? Will military interference result in second Iraq?
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/hostis-humani-generis-part-1
Friday, May 28, 2010
Vatican and the politics
Social protest against the canonization of Pope Pius XII gave rise to the violent discussion subjected not only to the very person of the saint-to-be but also the whole political activity of the Roman Catholic Church during the centuries of its existence. Not only representatives of the priesthood and professional theologists took part in the debates but also some conspicuous public and state figures, publicists did — long story short, the debate has turned into the widespread public discussion. The most surprising aspect of the story is not the fact that the Polish community is indignant with the future canonization of Pope Pius XII — who had a rather controversial reputation — and his becoming the one of Community of Catholic Saints. It’s almost for the first time when we’re hearing the voices that condemn the political role of the Catholic Church out loud.
For example, Wiesław Jaszczyński, well-known Polish public leader — in 1994-1998 he was the Deputy Health Minister in the government of Jerzy Buzek, today’s chairman of the European parliament — said the following: "No mixture in the world can ever be as dangerous to the humanity as the mix of religion and politics. Just the bloodiest wars and mass murders — including Holocaust — are born out of this mixture. History of the Roman Catholic Church is a striking example of that. During two thousand years of its existence and profound participation in the politics many terrible things happened: Crusades, murderous persecutions of Jews, inquisition, conquer, looting and the forceful conversion of the South America into the Catholicity. Whole sea of blood of innocent people has spilled just because of the fact that they were adherents of a different faith". One could hardly disagree with Jaszczyński - concerning the historical role of Vatican. In the newest history it changed - but only at first glance. Modern wars are still originate from religious issues roused by Vatican, despite all seeming attemps to promote ecumenism...
The article I link here is very long, but it is really worth reading and discussing.
http://www.win.ru/en/win/3504.phtml
For example, Wiesław Jaszczyński, well-known Polish public leader — in 1994-1998 he was the Deputy Health Minister in the government of Jerzy Buzek, today’s chairman of the European parliament — said the following: "No mixture in the world can ever be as dangerous to the humanity as the mix of religion and politics. Just the bloodiest wars and mass murders — including Holocaust — are born out of this mixture. History of the Roman Catholic Church is a striking example of that. During two thousand years of its existence and profound participation in the politics many terrible things happened: Crusades, murderous persecutions of Jews, inquisition, conquer, looting and the forceful conversion of the South America into the Catholicity. Whole sea of blood of innocent people has spilled just because of the fact that they were adherents of a different faith". One could hardly disagree with Jaszczyński - concerning the historical role of Vatican. In the newest history it changed - but only at first glance. Modern wars are still originate from religious issues roused by Vatican, despite all seeming attemps to promote ecumenism...
The article I link here is very long, but it is really worth reading and discussing.
http://www.win.ru/en/win/3504.phtml
MILLION REICHSMARKS FOR ROOSEVELT’S ASSASSINATION
In summer 2008 Toronto University employee PhD Ivan Kachanovsky published sensational information from the Franklin Roosevelt archives. According to it, in 1941-42 FBI agents, U. S. Presidential Intelligence Service and the U. S. Presidential Security Service were seeking for the OUN agents, sent to the USA by the Third Reich.
According to the data, obtained by American special services — including the information from their informants at the pro-fascist organizations of the Eastern Europe — press attaché of the German embassy in Argentina (certain Zinser) has organized a group of the Ukrainian terrorists who were charged with a mission to kill the U. S. President F. Roosevelt. One million Reichsmarks were promised for this order. Gregory Matseyko headed the group — in 1934 he murdered Bronislav Pieracky, Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs due to the Bandera’s order. Nicolay Lebed and Darya Gnatkovskaya — convicted by the Polish court for the same crime and later liberated from the Polish prison by the Germans — also were the members of the terrorist group.
See the whole text of the article, which is rather interesting to follow, on http://www.win.ru/en/win/3609.phtml
According to the data, obtained by American special services — including the information from their informants at the pro-fascist organizations of the Eastern Europe — press attaché of the German embassy in Argentina (certain Zinser) has organized a group of the Ukrainian terrorists who were charged with a mission to kill the U. S. President F. Roosevelt. One million Reichsmarks were promised for this order. Gregory Matseyko headed the group — in 1934 he murdered Bronislav Pieracky, Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs due to the Bandera’s order. Nicolay Lebed and Darya Gnatkovskaya — convicted by the Polish court for the same crime and later liberated from the Polish prison by the Germans — also were the members of the terrorist group.
See the whole text of the article, which is rather interesting to follow, on http://www.win.ru/en/win/3609.phtml
"Robin Hood" movie
Main theme of the "Robin Hood" movie is concentrated around the event of no small importance for the English history – signing of the Great Charter or Magna Carta by the King John. This document limited the king’s power over his vassals. In order to understand its significance we should know that the British Empire, state with the ancient democratic traditions, has no constitution at all. That’s why recent words of a certain Russian liberal functionary, stating that in England the elections take place according to the constitution, were met with a sincere good-natured laughter. Indeed, what does the man who invented the automobile might need the instruction for? Leave these manuals to those who are willing to use this car.
Group of documents, which – at a stretch – may be referred to the principal laws of Great Britain, originates from the very Magna Carta. It has nothing revolutionary in it, though. From the legal point of view, the much-talked-about "Yaroslav’s Justice" which was in use in Russia for a long time then, was more "advanced" document of its period. English Magna Carta, however, became the sacred myth and the "foundation stone of liberty", whatever that word may mean. "Robin Hood" directed by Ridley Scott is the first – may it be the probing one – attempt to work with that myth.
In his vision Magna Carta is a document, the text, first of all. It is not a half-verbal agreement, based on traditions and representing the result of the years-long negotiations and mutual give-and-takes by the nobility and king himself. This is rather a text, written without any participation of these persons – by a simple mason, father of Robin Hood and a leader of the common folk. All the barons and the king have to do is to sign this text and go home. History turns into the theory of conspiracy.
In fact, main hero of all Scott's films (so loved by the Western audience) is the contemporary of ours – who, in an unknown way, fetched himself in the other period of time and discovers the events that take place around him. He shows the typical reactions of the white Anglo-Saxon man from the 90s. His position is strictly democratic and anti-clerical. He doesn’t understand the matters of nobility and sanctity, having preferred to cast them away in disgust.
In the "Robin Hood"a historian finds plenty discrepancies, blots and unlikely moments. However, we can not rob it of its grandour and attraction - attraction which made me with my PhD in History to browse Internet and printed encyclopedia in search for a more or less truthful facts about Robin Hood.
http://www.win.ru/en/movies/4487.phtml
Group of documents, which – at a stretch – may be referred to the principal laws of Great Britain, originates from the very Magna Carta. It has nothing revolutionary in it, though. From the legal point of view, the much-talked-about "Yaroslav’s Justice" which was in use in Russia for a long time then, was more "advanced" document of its period. English Magna Carta, however, became the sacred myth and the "foundation stone of liberty", whatever that word may mean. "Robin Hood" directed by Ridley Scott is the first – may it be the probing one – attempt to work with that myth.
In his vision Magna Carta is a document, the text, first of all. It is not a half-verbal agreement, based on traditions and representing the result of the years-long negotiations and mutual give-and-takes by the nobility and king himself. This is rather a text, written without any participation of these persons – by a simple mason, father of Robin Hood and a leader of the common folk. All the barons and the king have to do is to sign this text and go home. History turns into the theory of conspiracy.
In fact, main hero of all Scott's films (so loved by the Western audience) is the contemporary of ours – who, in an unknown way, fetched himself in the other period of time and discovers the events that take place around him. He shows the typical reactions of the white Anglo-Saxon man from the 90s. His position is strictly democratic and anti-clerical. He doesn’t understand the matters of nobility and sanctity, having preferred to cast them away in disgust.
In the "Robin Hood"a historian finds plenty discrepancies, blots and unlikely moments. However, we can not rob it of its grandour and attraction - attraction which made me with my PhD in History to browse Internet and printed encyclopedia in search for a more or less truthful facts about Robin Hood.
http://www.win.ru/en/movies/4487.phtml
Pax Americana Multipolaris
Does the USA need a one-polar world? I don’t think so. It is hard to “be in charge of everything”. It is much easier and more advantageous to be “the first among the equal and a far from the centre”. Unlike vertical relations, horizontal ones do not suppress anybody and can not result in anybody’s fall. I believe that Obama’s shining smile is just the right thing: after statements made by George Bush Jr. concerning the issue of “who is in charge” it is important to remind the world about such notion as equality.
I do agree with the author of this article - it is always extremely hard to be superior as they are mostly afraid of, envied or hated. It looks more than a habit of achieving superiority that the USA inherited from the cold war era, isn't it?
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/pax-americana-multipolaris
I do agree with the author of this article - it is always extremely hard to be superior as they are mostly afraid of, envied or hated. It looks more than a habit of achieving superiority that the USA inherited from the cold war era, isn't it?
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/pax-americana-multipolaris
Somalia: Anarchy is Order
In comparison with other Eastern African countries Somalia has reached obvious success in many spheres for the last 20 years despite periods of chaos; and the most peculiar is the fact that it has been achieved without any governmental rule in the country.
Each period of chaos and violence in Somalia was caused by an attempt to create a centralized government from outside. The last such attempt took place when the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) was created in 2006 under the guidance of Ethiopia and the USA. Fight against TFG made the Islamic Courts Union (Al-Shabaab) stronger. Al-Shabaab managed to create an actual government and seize control of southern provinces and the former capital Mogadishu. In December of 2006 Ethiopian troops invaded Somalia, defeated Al-Shabaab and moved TFG to Mogadishu. TFG has actually no power and is not supported by any substantial part of population. Attacks against soldiers and officials loyal to TFG are happening eventually. It remains unclear, whether TFG manages to control the whole country.
Outbreaks of violence and military crimes took place in Somalia within ten years between the withdrawal of American troops and Ethiopian intervention. However, they can not be even compared to violence of the civil war and General Barre’s dictatorship.
Somalian customary law is based on traditions interpreted and followed by decentralized clan structure. Xeer appeared long before the colonial period and remained valid when Somalia was a colony. After Somalia became independent, the central government made attempts to replace Xeer with state law. However, people in rural regions and borderlands continued to follow the customary law. After the collapse of Somali state the majority returned to traditional law.
Xeer prohibits murder, assaults, burglary, robbery, theft, arson, blackmail, tortures, beating, causing severe injuries (including those due to negligence), rape, kidnapping, causing harm to property. Xeer is mainly focused not on punishments but on compensations for the damage caused. This is an outline of people who are famous as pirates of XXIst century.
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/somalia-anarchy-order-part-i
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
WITHOUT ANY WORDS AND BLANK SHOTS
American company Blackwater was set up in 1996 and now is called ‘Xe Services’. For a long time it has lived in a shadow of the U. S. foreign policy. But during the last few years scandalous activity of this firm — that specialists regard to be small but capable private army — became well-known all over the world and its cases are tried in the numerous courts. Not long ago one of recent informational cause was given by Iraq officials, where Blackwater pretty much distinguished itself in due time. Government ordered 250 former and active company employees to leave the country in the course of week.
Why did Blackwater fall into such disfavour? Iraqi officials had to undertake these measures when the American judge didn’t press charges against company employees regarding assault at the peaceful Iraqis — including beatings and murders. The case is the much-talked-about shooting of 17 Baghdad residents. This incident provoked sharp rise of the anti-American sentiments in Iraq and forced the U. S. State Department to deny the company services.
http://www.win.ru/en/school/3597.phtml
Why did Blackwater fall into such disfavour? Iraqi officials had to undertake these measures when the American judge didn’t press charges against company employees regarding assault at the peaceful Iraqis — including beatings and murders. The case is the much-talked-about shooting of 17 Baghdad residents. This incident provoked sharp rise of the anti-American sentiments in Iraq and forced the U. S. State Department to deny the company services.
http://www.win.ru/en/school/3597.phtml
ALTERNATIVE HISTORY OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR
Alternative historical scenarios allow us to better understand the specific decisions that various politicians have made in the real history. Any head of state, while making a decision, approximate, in one way or another, the possible future in case of both fulfilling the appointed decision and its cancellation. Today’s reconstruction of the virtual past leads us to better understanding of the historical persons’ motivation and lets us estimate how justified their decisions had been. Long story short, alternative historical scenarios give the opportunity to estimate the lost prospects or, on the contrary, dangers for the state that were avoided (in our case we’re talking of the second variant). The question — whether the world would have turned to worse or to better — if at some given moment the course of history was different — is not vain at all. Its solution is vitally important for giving the appraisal estimates to the events of the past.
As far back as in September of 1938 Winston Churchill, then First Lord of Admiralty (naval minister) of Great Britain, put the question of mining the Norwegian coastal waters in order to bar Germany from exporting the iron ore via the Norwegian seaport Narwik to the agenda of Her Majesty’s Cabinet. In December of 1939 Churchill unambiguously supported the idea of preventive occupation of Norway. The USSR was fighting the war against Finland at the time and the plans of English presence in the North of Europe started to acquire the shape of the clearly anti-Soviet kind. In the same report dated the 16th of December, 1939 Churchill unequivocally pointed out the probability of starting the warfare against the Soviet Union: "Transfer of the iron ore from Luleo (Baltic Sea) has already stopped because of the ice and we can’t let the Soviet icebreakers to crush it in case if they try"...
http://www.win.ru/en/Mysteries-of-History/4113.phtml
As far back as in September of 1938 Winston Churchill, then First Lord of Admiralty (naval minister) of Great Britain, put the question of mining the Norwegian coastal waters in order to bar Germany from exporting the iron ore via the Norwegian seaport Narwik to the agenda of Her Majesty’s Cabinet. In December of 1939 Churchill unambiguously supported the idea of preventive occupation of Norway. The USSR was fighting the war against Finland at the time and the plans of English presence in the North of Europe started to acquire the shape of the clearly anti-Soviet kind. In the same report dated the 16th of December, 1939 Churchill unequivocally pointed out the probability of starting the warfare against the Soviet Union: "Transfer of the iron ore from Luleo (Baltic Sea) has already stopped because of the ice and we can’t let the Soviet icebreakers to crush it in case if they try"...
http://www.win.ru/en/Mysteries-of-History/4113.phtml
Nazi henchmen from Scandinavia dreamed of colonizing Russia and the Ukraine
Scandinavia was to play a special role in the worldview of the German national-socialistы. That was both a cradle of the "Nordic race" and the motherhood for the nations that were related to Germans. Even prior to that, in the beginning of the 20th century, pan-Germanists were laying great hopes for Scandinavia, considering it to be natural for the Northern Europe to be reunited under the auspice of Germany. During the Second World War real opportunity to check both "pan-Germanist" and "Nordic" theories appeared. Thus, to the utmost surprise of the Nazis, it turned out that the "related nations" — the "Vikings" — weren’t much enthusiastic about becoming a part of the Great German Reich.
With the beginning of the Second World War, Scandinavian countries strove to keep their neutrality just like they did during the First World War. Denmark and Norway have failed at that, though. These countries have suddenly fetched themselves under the intent attention of the warring parties, which were attempting to improve their strategic positions for their account. Germans have slightly outstripped Englishmen at that. At that point, Norway — that was initially protesting against the English disregard for its neutrality — had nothing else to do, rather than to beg England of help. But in 1940 British people were unable (or unwilling) to protect Norway, and Germany has consolidated its grip of the Northern Europe.
In Denmark and Norway the population wasn’t showing any specific willingness to participate in the military affairs of the German national-socialism. Yes, the occupational regime in these countries was rather gentle. It cannot by no means be compared with the Nazi regimes at the occupied territories not only of Poland and the USSR, but even with that of France and (by the end of the war) Italy. In a great many senses occupants were relying on the local powers very much. In Denmark most part of Danish administration, police and legal justice bodies was intact — the laws of the Danish Kingdom were still in use there. Similar situation emerged in Norway. It also formally remained to be autonomous; it had its own government, police and judicial bodies. At that, even before the invasion to Norway, Nazi had a strong "fifth column" — the "Nasjonal Samling Party" headed by Vidkun Quisling — in that country. In February of 1942 occupants have appointed Quisling to be the head of the puppet government of Norway. We should say that during the years of the Second World War the very word "quisling" became a common noun denoting the puppet collaborationist, willing to execute any German order. French "Vichy government members", Croatian Ustaša and Slovakian supporters of the pro-fascist regime were dubbed this way.
http://www.win.ru/en/Mysteries-of-History/4200.phtml
With the beginning of the Second World War, Scandinavian countries strove to keep their neutrality just like they did during the First World War. Denmark and Norway have failed at that, though. These countries have suddenly fetched themselves under the intent attention of the warring parties, which were attempting to improve their strategic positions for their account. Germans have slightly outstripped Englishmen at that. At that point, Norway — that was initially protesting against the English disregard for its neutrality — had nothing else to do, rather than to beg England of help. But in 1940 British people were unable (or unwilling) to protect Norway, and Germany has consolidated its grip of the Northern Europe.
In Denmark and Norway the population wasn’t showing any specific willingness to participate in the military affairs of the German national-socialism. Yes, the occupational regime in these countries was rather gentle. It cannot by no means be compared with the Nazi regimes at the occupied territories not only of Poland and the USSR, but even with that of France and (by the end of the war) Italy. In a great many senses occupants were relying on the local powers very much. In Denmark most part of Danish administration, police and legal justice bodies was intact — the laws of the Danish Kingdom were still in use there. Similar situation emerged in Norway. It also formally remained to be autonomous; it had its own government, police and judicial bodies. At that, even before the invasion to Norway, Nazi had a strong "fifth column" — the "Nasjonal Samling Party" headed by Vidkun Quisling — in that country. In February of 1942 occupants have appointed Quisling to be the head of the puppet government of Norway. We should say that during the years of the Second World War the very word "quisling" became a common noun denoting the puppet collaborationist, willing to execute any German order. French "Vichy government members", Croatian Ustaša and Slovakian supporters of the pro-fascist regime were dubbed this way.
http://www.win.ru/en/Mysteries-of-History/4200.phtml
A STAIN ON A WHITE TAILCOAT
The Russians inherited their being in sympathy with the traditional English society, from books and movies of the Soviet times, despite the fact that Soviet pieces of art, inspired by Agatha Christie and Conan Doyle’s works, were rather far from the nowadays reality. The manifested antipode of the Soviet humanist ideals — "the British colonial imperialism" — took place in former Soviet schoolchildren’s minds without mixing up with sweet, although bourgeois Miss Marple and Sherlock Holmes. That made substantial difference with the Tsarist age, when the educated part of the Russian society, even when they expressed their respect towards these or those aspects of British national way of life or British temperament, were judging it by their minds, not hearts. The Anglophobia was widespread then, and even Russian political emigrants, who had found their asylum in Britain, followed suit.
A period of being enchanted by the British traditions, evoked by the wave of perestroika, USSR dissolution and troubles caused by it, is over today. And one of the most obvious proofs of London’s self-interested hypocrisy which easily outweighs the mythology of "good old reputable Britain" is a man named Boris Abramovich Berezovsky.
The name of Mr. Berezovsky is used to confront the "English influence" in some lands which are economically and geographically closer to Britain. On February 6th 2008, representatives of the law enforcement agencies of Switzerland, France and the Netherlands, speaking at a meeting at Eurojust, stated the "major violations" of the international agreements of the criminal proceedings by the British Home Office. They also expressed their determination to raise this question again at various European institutions in order to discuss the destructive position of the British party when it comes to fighting the transnational organized crime. Taking numerous criminal cases against Mr. Berezovsky, initiated by law enforcement agencies of Switzerland. Brazil, Lithuania etc into account, it’s no wonder that this gentleman is depicted by the European press as a typical example of the cosmopolitan moneymaker, who uses the British protection and thinks that "money doesn’t stink!" Some Canadian online paper even supposed that Mr. Berezovsky is concerned in Muslim radicals’ attempts to get "dirty bombs" which were supposed to be used against the Western countries.
Some time ago Britain was an secure place for serious politicians, political writers, philosophers seeking an opportunity to develop their ideas. A famous Russian democrat Gertzen moved there, and "Das Kapital" was written there by Marx. But, as far as we can see, there is something deeply rotten in the British kingdom, if the same status can be obtained now by "godfathers" (as Paul Klebnikov called them) like Boris Berezovsky.
http://www.win.ru/en/topic/3673.phtml
A period of being enchanted by the British traditions, evoked by the wave of perestroika, USSR dissolution and troubles caused by it, is over today. And one of the most obvious proofs of London’s self-interested hypocrisy which easily outweighs the mythology of "good old reputable Britain" is a man named Boris Abramovich Berezovsky.
The name of Mr. Berezovsky is used to confront the "English influence" in some lands which are economically and geographically closer to Britain. On February 6th 2008, representatives of the law enforcement agencies of Switzerland, France and the Netherlands, speaking at a meeting at Eurojust, stated the "major violations" of the international agreements of the criminal proceedings by the British Home Office. They also expressed their determination to raise this question again at various European institutions in order to discuss the destructive position of the British party when it comes to fighting the transnational organized crime. Taking numerous criminal cases against Mr. Berezovsky, initiated by law enforcement agencies of Switzerland. Brazil, Lithuania etc into account, it’s no wonder that this gentleman is depicted by the European press as a typical example of the cosmopolitan moneymaker, who uses the British protection and thinks that "money doesn’t stink!" Some Canadian online paper even supposed that Mr. Berezovsky is concerned in Muslim radicals’ attempts to get "dirty bombs" which were supposed to be used against the Western countries.
Some time ago Britain was an secure place for serious politicians, political writers, philosophers seeking an opportunity to develop their ideas. A famous Russian democrat Gertzen moved there, and "Das Kapital" was written there by Marx. But, as far as we can see, there is something deeply rotten in the British kingdom, if the same status can be obtained now by "godfathers" (as Paul Klebnikov called them) like Boris Berezovsky.
http://www.win.ru/en/topic/3673.phtml
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
WHAT’S THE POINT OF PRETENDING THAT EVERYONE AROUND YOU ARE IDIOTS?
After 18 years of the most active period of Georgian-Abkhazian and Georgian-Ossetian conflict, government of Georgia decided to pretend that it "changed its mind" and allegedly found the way to correct everything and "reintegrate these territories and people into the constitutional area of Georgia by peaceful means". Perhaps, if Georgia didn’t choose the path of war prior to that and if such policy was implemented at least 5 years ago, its effectiveness would be unquestionable. Now it’s impossible to find any sense of presenting such document.
Intricate way of Saakashvili’s thinking gave birth to the new original strategy called "Involvement via cooperation". According to the original idea that was stated in English, this strategy will result in the restoration of trust between Georgians, Abkhazians and Ossetes. At the same time official Tbilisi is not going to deny the concept of considering Abkhazia and South Ossetia to be the Georgian territory. Georgian authorities call Abkhazia and South Ossetia to be the "territories occupied by Russia" and are seemingly unwilling to change this term.
http://www.win.ru/en/topic/3656.phtml
Intricate way of Saakashvili’s thinking gave birth to the new original strategy called "Involvement via cooperation". According to the original idea that was stated in English, this strategy will result in the restoration of trust between Georgians, Abkhazians and Ossetes. At the same time official Tbilisi is not going to deny the concept of considering Abkhazia and South Ossetia to be the Georgian territory. Georgian authorities call Abkhazia and South Ossetia to be the "territories occupied by Russia" and are seemingly unwilling to change this term.
http://www.win.ru/en/topic/3656.phtml
"PERSISTENT AND SOMETIMES BELLICOSE": Fighters against the "Bronze Soldier" monument decided to rattle their sabers again
There is a large category of stateless people in Estonia (about 8% of population). As opposed to the permanent foreign residents, they can’t elect or be elected, although, they live in the country, work and pay taxes since their birth. The only indulgence is that the non-nationals with permanent residence permit have a right to elect (but not to be elected) during the local elections. As you might’ve guessed, there are few native Estonians among them.
The former are still feeling the "Russian threat". Given such background Lieutenant General Ants Laaneots — Estonian Chief of Defense — said that the European historical course has made Estonians even-tempered and wise. "We had to be flexible, persistent, stubborn and sometimes even bellicose living here by the Baltic Sea in order to remain as a nation" — he said. "Protection of independence grounds on people’s will to defend themselves — people who considered our territory to be their Motherland. The last subject includes not only military aspect, but our common willingness to protect our state, our people, our nearest and dearest and ourselves from any threats", — Laaneots said.
http://www.win.ru/en/topic/3926.phtml
The former are still feeling the "Russian threat". Given such background Lieutenant General Ants Laaneots — Estonian Chief of Defense — said that the European historical course has made Estonians even-tempered and wise. "We had to be flexible, persistent, stubborn and sometimes even bellicose living here by the Baltic Sea in order to remain as a nation" — he said. "Protection of independence grounds on people’s will to defend themselves — people who considered our territory to be their Motherland. The last subject includes not only military aspect, but our common willingness to protect our state, our people, our nearest and dearest and ourselves from any threats", — Laaneots said.
http://www.win.ru/en/topic/3926.phtml
Did the Red Army or Vlasov’s army liberate Prague from the Nazi?
In this article you will find more or less truthful description of early May 1945 days in Prague. I strongly recommend to read it and to post comments:
"Today there is a chance that the events of early May, 1945 would be cleaned of political bargaining. But it would happen not in the nearest future, large debates between two states historians have been heating for many years. However, there are less people both in Russia and the Czech Republic who question the decisive role of the Red Army in Prague liberation. Finally, May 1945 should be differed from the Socialist epoch in Czechoslovakia. They should not be mixed. These events are not equal even if somebody wants it so much."
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/did-red-army-or-vlasovrsquos-army-liberate-prague-nazi
"Today there is a chance that the events of early May, 1945 would be cleaned of political bargaining. But it would happen not in the nearest future, large debates between two states historians have been heating for many years. However, there are less people both in Russia and the Czech Republic who question the decisive role of the Red Army in Prague liberation. Finally, May 1945 should be differed from the Socialist epoch in Czechoslovakia. They should not be mixed. These events are not equal even if somebody wants it so much."
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/did-red-army-or-vlasovrsquos-army-liberate-prague-nazi
Russian Idea and Russia's place in the world
In the recent years Russia has become a partner in multilateral combinations of the international actors, who seek survival and development without losing their independence. It's a kind of realpolitik too, but filled with much more ethics and common sense. But still the independent strugglers for the common future in this diverse and (at the same time) globalized world lack the unification force, lack the powerful mediator. Probably, Russia could be such a force, for it is a country that unified all the major world cultures under one roof and every such culture feels at home; but to play such a part, Russia should become a new social economical reality, and it couldn't be done by the blood of any kind of revolution. We actually have just one option — something like the Soviet Union plus belief in God. And, of course, the realities, that are quite different now, must be taken into consideration.
We lacked such an example in the past in our domestic as well as foreign politics. In that case the number of supporters, ready to help us, risking their own lives, could have been greater, and their quantity could have made quality, a prerequisite for success. And the number of defectors (who always have their personal material egoism underneath their “sublime” ideas, if we look at them a bit closer, and who “were so kind” to bring us knowledge of some valuable Soviet intelligence agents of the past) could have been less.
http://www.win.ru/en/ideas/2867.phtml
We lacked such an example in the past in our domestic as well as foreign politics. In that case the number of supporters, ready to help us, risking their own lives, could have been greater, and their quantity could have made quality, a prerequisite for success. And the number of defectors (who always have their personal material egoism underneath their “sublime” ideas, if we look at them a bit closer, and who “were so kind” to bring us knowledge of some valuable Soviet intelligence agents of the past) could have been less.
http://www.win.ru/en/ideas/2867.phtml
Monday, May 24, 2010
Corruption as a Mother of Terror
Corruption is just a particular case of the money obsession that truly became some kind of an "anti-national idea" in Russia. Everyone has heard the furious Patriarch Kirill’s rebuff to the self-seeking cab drivers, who have jacked up the prices for their services and driven the people after the explosions in the metro demanding the crazy rates. However, the cynicism of some of Russian fellow compatriots seems to be boundless. The next day the swindlers started to send the text messages, offering to donate the money that allegedly were to be sent to the victims of the terrorist act. As the saying goes, it can’t become worse than that.
Russian nation was always famous for its ability to unite in the face of the danger in order to jointly protect its Motherland. The very moment for that has just come.
http://www.win.ru/en/ideas/4111.phtml
Russian nation was always famous for its ability to unite in the face of the danger in order to jointly protect its Motherland. The very moment for that has just come.
http://www.win.ru/en/ideas/4111.phtml
President Yanukovich and NATO
After all court procedures in the Supreme Administrative court, Viktor Yanukovich is now preparing for inauguration. The Party of Regions carries on complicated negotiations with different political powers about creating a new coalition and forming a “technical” government that will lead the Ukraine out of the crisis it had been drawn into by the Orange government. Timoshenko doesn’t intend to leave the prime-minister’s post and promises to fight the existing government “to the last ditch”. Nationalistic and quasi-nationalistic powers that lost the elections and are unable to oppose representatives of the regions in the field of economics start crusade against the Russian language. Yushchenko chooses for himself a governmental dacha, gives awards to his supporters and goes on his last tour across the country of exhibitions dedicated to the “fight of heroic Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists and Ukrainian Insurgent Army against the Soviet rule”. The West meanwhile discusses the after-election fate of the Ukraine.
“The Ukraine at least won’t insist on providing the prospects of membership either in EU, or in NATO. These questions of Yushchenko’s time stand no longer. Everybody understands that the issue of Ukraine’s joining NATO ceased to be an urgent one for now, and may be forever,” stated Arnaud Dubien, a prominent French political scientist and a leading researcher of IRIS.
Nevertheless, Arnaud Dubien doesn’t rule out the possibility of collaboration of Kiev with the West to be more efficient with Yanukovich at the helm, then it was during Yushchenko’s presidency, in case the situation in the Ukraine is not catastrophic. “We’ll be less talking about membership, prospects and dates and will deal more with boring but necessary issues, such as the adaptation of Ukrainian legislation and standard specifications to the European standards, and so on,” says the scientist. First of all, apart from the cooperation in energy sector, the West is interested in the relations between the Ukraine and NATO. As Arnaud Dubien says, the fact that the “golden age” of Ukrainian relationship with NATO has gone doesn’t impede the real army cooperation.
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/president-yanukovich-and-nato
On the waves of historical memory
Innumerable are the times and the grounds, based on which post-Soviet nations are suggested today to repent of their sins and to clear themselves (though not only post-Soviet countries have their skeletons in the cupboards). But repentance is a personal issue with purely personal and by no way collective responsibility (and collective responsibility is a notion proposed and implemented by Hitler to Jews). Human beings must answer for their actions, no matter were they performed in or out of community. But if an unpleasant action was performed under the strict compulsion of the society, that should be regarded as extenuating circumstances. One can’t blame the whole nation for the crimes of its leaders; every representative of that nation would become a criminal and the whole nation – a gang of villains then. Though, those representatives of a nation who were involved in crimes are, perhaps, to be condemned. A collective repentance is sought be the representatives of a certain classes, so it might be reasonable to talk about class repentance. Say, a farmer in our country doesn’t have to repent of Stalin’s crimes, but the artistic intellectuals who reproach the today’s nation with these crimes probably should, as it were smart temporizers who supported Stalin’s regime ideologically, and not only Stalin’s and not only in our country. But there’re no volunteers from their kind to confess, and none of them intends to do their job with all responsibility, but creates a deliberately false ideological product again and again without being ashamed.
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/waves-historical-memory
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/waves-historical-memory
Case of Vassili Kononov: Strasbourg versus Nuremberg
12-year-long legal dispute of Vassili Kononov and the Latvian ethnocratic regime resembles Franz Kafka’s novel "The Trial1" with its absurd piling of the sentences, further inquiries, and appeals. By the way "The Trial", written in 1925, was also born by the European culture and in great many senses it became a prophecy of the coming fascism.
Grand Chamber of the European Court for Human Rights cancelled the original verdict, returned in Strasbourg 2 years ago due to the claim of Vassili Kononov, Great Patriotic War veteran, that he put up against the Latvian authorities. Talks that the common sense finally prevailed in Europe, turned out to be pre-mature: this time 14 judges voted in favor of Latvia and just 3 of them — in favor of partisan and resistance member.
In 2008 the Court obliged Latvia to pay Kononov €30.000 as compensation and recognize the incompetence of the criminal prosecution against him. This inspired the state authorities to demand the Strasbourg Court to revise this decision. Vassili Kononov says that he is willing to fight until the end, the way he did in the 40s. He is 87 now so his time and strength for another war — against the unrighteous court this time — are running thin. This war however is on since 1998 — that’s when the veteran was arrested. He, by the way, sacrificed his youth for the liberation of his motherland (Vassili Kononov is a native citizen of Latvia).
Hopes of Kononov’s lawyers are grounded on the circumstance that Strasbourg doesn’t have all the materials of the case. Thus, the Court didn’t take the complete information into the consideration, which may become the reason to review the case, despite the fact, that, according to the law, the Grand Chamber is making its final decision now. We can’t rule out the possibility that the lawyers will manage to catch this straw. But still it’s hard to believe in their success, as long as it is clear that now everything depends on the political conjuncture.
http://www.win.ru/en/topic/4445.phtml
Grand Chamber of the European Court for Human Rights cancelled the original verdict, returned in Strasbourg 2 years ago due to the claim of Vassili Kononov, Great Patriotic War veteran, that he put up against the Latvian authorities. Talks that the common sense finally prevailed in Europe, turned out to be pre-mature: this time 14 judges voted in favor of Latvia and just 3 of them — in favor of partisan and resistance member.
In 2008 the Court obliged Latvia to pay Kononov €30.000 as compensation and recognize the incompetence of the criminal prosecution against him. This inspired the state authorities to demand the Strasbourg Court to revise this decision. Vassili Kononov says that he is willing to fight until the end, the way he did in the 40s. He is 87 now so his time and strength for another war — against the unrighteous court this time — are running thin. This war however is on since 1998 — that’s when the veteran was arrested. He, by the way, sacrificed his youth for the liberation of his motherland (Vassili Kononov is a native citizen of Latvia).
Hopes of Kononov’s lawyers are grounded on the circumstance that Strasbourg doesn’t have all the materials of the case. Thus, the Court didn’t take the complete information into the consideration, which may become the reason to review the case, despite the fact, that, according to the law, the Grand Chamber is making its final decision now. We can’t rule out the possibility that the lawyers will manage to catch this straw. But still it’s hard to believe in their success, as long as it is clear that now everything depends on the political conjuncture.
http://www.win.ru/en/topic/4445.phtml
Euro-Union pot calling the kettle back
In the EU countries depicting Russia as a huge hotbed of xenophobia, national hatred and intolerance happened to be a sign of good form. Tendentious coverage of the European media led to the fact that every single national-grounded conflict in Moscow or St. Petersburg is becoming an occasion for the articles and broadcastings. At the same time Europeans prefer not to speak aloud about their own interethnic issues that have long ago become chronic and systematic. Meanwhile, ultra-right, radically nationalistic parties in Europe are not the marginal phenomena anymore, but rather the integral parts of the political systems of their respective countries.
http://www.win.ru/en/school/4436.phtml
http://www.win.ru/en/school/4436.phtml
"Fathers' graves" of the Polish politics
Jerzy Giedroyć’s1 statement about two graves — of Piłsudski and Dmowski — that rule over the Poland became truism long time ago. Fierce political fight for the President’s post that unfolded after the brief mourning reconciliation, creates the preconditions for appearance of the third "ruling grave" — the one of Lech Kaczyński.
For the whole article go to http://www.win.ru/en/school/4422.phtml
Thousands of commemoration lights at the graves of Russian soldiers in Poland
Hundreds of thousands of Soviet soldiers — who died for the sake of liberation of Poland from the fascists in 1944-45 — are buried at the military cemeteries in Poland. The largest cemetery, where more than 32 thousand of the soldiers-liberators have found their final peace, is situated in Braniewo, close to the border with the Kaliningrad oblast. There are nearly 22 thousands in Warsaw, at the Żwirko and Wigura Street, 11 thousand — in Bielsko-Biała, 8 thousand — in Wrocław. Polish government is regularly allotting several million zloty for the maintenance of these Second World War memorials, but you may only find there fresh flowers or lit up candles once in a blue moon. After the collapse of the socialistic bloc quite new approach to the estimate of the Soviet Army role in the liberation of the country started to prevail. Our soldiers were treated as the occupants, who brought socialism on their bayonets. Role of the USSR as the liberator from the Hitler’s fascism moved to the background without being noticed.
The 65th anniversary of the great victory became the turning point in the attitude of common Poles towards Russia and the role of the Soviet soldiers in the Polish liberation.
http://www.win.ru/en/school/4421.phtml
The 65th anniversary of the great victory became the turning point in the attitude of common Poles towards Russia and the role of the Soviet soldiers in the Polish liberation.
http://www.win.ru/en/school/4421.phtml
It is cheap, fast and efficient
When you hear that Twitter or mobile phones are essential for democracy and that they give a chance to Iranian or Burmese or Cuban or Zimbabwean "tyranny fighters", give yourself a moment and think about the persons using such a chance and the ways they use it. By the way, some examples of that can be found at not so distant places: the scenario described was frequently used at the post-Soviet space, and last time it was Chisinau, 2009.
http://www.win.ru/en/school/4375.phtml
http://www.win.ru/en/school/4375.phtml
Prime Minister of Estonia became "Kaitseliit" fighter
Scandalous and provocative Andrus Ansip’ demarche — who enlisted for an organization with a rich collaborationist history revived in the 90s — doesn’t inspire any hope that fascist henchmen glorification in Baltics is a transient phenomenon. It looks more like a lingering illness, which is to be treated for quite a long time. Once, Western Europe has recognized Republic of Estonia to be the EU member with outstretched arms. And if Western Europe doesn’t help to cure this disease, it can develop into the chronic form.
http://www.win.ru/en/topic/4322.phtml
http://www.win.ru/en/topic/4322.phtml
Why did the West lose the Second World War?
A lot of Russians believe that we’re living in the age of the Western triumph. West surrounds us everywhere. It reigns over the popular car models and at the labels of trendy clothes; it is in the photographs of pop-idols and political brands. In both literal and figurative senses, we’re dancing to the Western music. Who might doubt the triumph of the prevailed civilization?
This, however, is a provincial view from Himki or Odoevo1. This is a view of people who lived through crush of the "iron curtain" and literally lost their steps due to an avalanche of the forbidden goods that rushed from over the burst-through dam. Being in a panic we are even ready to claim the banal market relations to be the "Western achievement" though the market existed as far back as in the times of ancient Sumerians or Siam, thousands of years before the Wall Street.
At the very same time American ideologist Patrick Buchanan is writing a book named "Death of the West". Startling name was given not for the sake of an ad sensation. There’s a sincere anxiety of an American patriot not only for his country but for the whole Euro-Atlantic civilization in every single line.
http://www.win.ru/en/ideas/4294.phtml
This, however, is a provincial view from Himki or Odoevo1. This is a view of people who lived through crush of the "iron curtain" and literally lost their steps due to an avalanche of the forbidden goods that rushed from over the burst-through dam. Being in a panic we are even ready to claim the banal market relations to be the "Western achievement" though the market existed as far back as in the times of ancient Sumerians or Siam, thousands of years before the Wall Street.
At the very same time American ideologist Patrick Buchanan is writing a book named "Death of the West". Startling name was given not for the sake of an ad sensation. There’s a sincere anxiety of an American patriot not only for his country but for the whole Euro-Atlantic civilization in every single line.
http://www.win.ru/en/ideas/4294.phtml
WHAT WAS THE MISTAKE LVOV GUY?
Protest actions against the appointment of Dmitro Tabachnyk as an Education and Science Minister have spread all over the west of the Ukraine. In Lvov, Ternopil and Ivano-Frankivsk people dub him to be "anti-Ukrainian" politician who has set the goal of ousting the state language of the country out of the educational sphere. Though, according to the opinion of the observers, true scopes of the campaign against Dmitro Tabachnyk are significantly exaggerated by its ringleaders. The latter are trying to pass the situation for a rebellion of entire student community. In the meantime, the so-called "anti-tobacco campaign" that is attempted to be depicted as the tide of the active student protests is not so massive and nationwide as the "westernees" claim it to be. And it was caused not by the professional activity of the Minister who has been holding the post for a mere month, but rather some old scores. Because you know, Dmitro Tabachnyk is a consistent adherent of harmonization with Russia and is also a fierce enemy of "making a hero" out of Stepan Bander and the OUN-UPA.
http://www.win.ru/en/topic/4261.phtml
http://www.win.ru/en/topic/4261.phtml
Czech Republic is Eurosceptic?
In January 2010 at the Bank Forum for European bankers of Central and Eastern European states the Czech president Vaclav Claus claimed that they “needn’t hurry to enter the Euro zone”. It was accepted without astonishment. The European mass media interpreted the news as a demonstration of Czech leader’s obstinate nature. It is proved by the fact that recently he has made Europe dependant on his signature in the Treaty of Lisbon, the abolition of which could mean the delay of the continent unification for the uncertain period of time.
The information, delivered by the Klaus’s deputy administrator about intentions of the Czech Republic to return its sovereignty, and for this to leave the EU, added to nervousness.
Mikhail Mizin is his article "The Czech Republic as Eurosceptic" argues that this policy was explained by many in Europe by the desire of the “small” Czech Republic, having recently become the participant of the progressive Western society, to declare itself. Reporters speculated on the peculiarities of the national character. However when the dust settled and the time for well-considered and measured situation analysis came, the question why the ideological encourager of economic reforms of the 90s in the Czech Republic, seeking to enter the EU, Klaus is developing a reputation of a true “Eurosceptic” and is trying not to let his country participate in European mainstream policy.
http://eastwest-review.com/article/czech-republic-eurosceptic-part-i
The information, delivered by the Klaus’s deputy administrator about intentions of the Czech Republic to return its sovereignty, and for this to leave the EU, added to nervousness.
Mikhail Mizin is his article "The Czech Republic as Eurosceptic" argues that this policy was explained by many in Europe by the desire of the “small” Czech Republic, having recently become the participant of the progressive Western society, to declare itself. Reporters speculated on the peculiarities of the national character. However when the dust settled and the time for well-considered and measured situation analysis came, the question why the ideological encourager of economic reforms of the 90s in the Czech Republic, seeking to enter the EU, Klaus is developing a reputation of a true “Eurosceptic” and is trying not to let his country participate in European mainstream policy.
http://eastwest-review.com/article/czech-republic-eurosceptic-part-i
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Yanukovich and the mines of the language issue
During 5 years of Yushchenko being president sociologists used to inform the language issue wasn’t the priority for Ukrainian citizens. But the first week of Viktor Yanukovich in office has proved it wrong – the language issue stays as one of the most painful problems of the country’s social being. On 5th of March, during his first visit to Moscow, Viktor Yanukovich promised he wouldn’t postpone the adoption of statutes aimed to protect the rights of Russian-speaking population in Ukraine. “We’ll adopt all the necessary laws. I promise to the Ukrainian people to implement this program decision. The issue will be settled in the nearest future”, Yanukovich stated at the press-conference in Kremlin answering the question about solving the problem of protection of Russian language in Ukraine.
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/yanukovich-and-mines-language-issue
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/yanukovich-and-mines-language-issue
“Mistral” – the wind of change
In the opinion of a number of experts, the development of relations between the Russian Federation and France are essential right now, when the US administration, being the most influential institute of global politics, doesn’t pay attention to any of them. This point of view is shared by a French political scientist Fabio Liberti, who claimed in one of his interviews that “this is the omission which Sarkozi wants to use to construct special Franco-Russian relations. These relations may turn into more expand cooperation between Europe and Russia in the sphere of economy and security”. The signing of the agreement between “Gazprom” and “Gaz de France Suez” on the acquisition of 9 percent of “North Flow” shares in return for provision by Russian gas company of additional 1.5 billion cubic metres annually (starting in 2015) turned to be the next achievement. Then Medvedev negotiated that Russia would by 2 war-ships from France and construct two ships in the national ship-yards under corresponding license. The cooperation of the two countries in rocket and space sphere has already become typical: Paris is going to spend nearly 1 billion dollars on purchasing 14 launch systems “Soyuz”.
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/ldquomistralrdquo-ndash-wind-change
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/ldquomistralrdquo-ndash-wind-change
US ABM system in Europe: what comes next?
The threat of American ABM system initiative for military security of the Russian federation is apparent and is put under the question only by the participants of its implementation. The point of view of Russia concerning the issue was expressed by the chief of General Staff of military forces of the Russian Federation Nikolaj Makarov, who, in particular, claimed that “in an extreme case, if Iran places its warhead against a certain state, we now where this warhead will go – it is not Poland or the Czech republic, that’s why the deployment of the facilities in these states make us concerned”. “Regarding imaginary threat from North Korea and Iran, this facility is not capable to reach these countries. We are really concerned that this system is against Russia” – added the chief of General Staff. The concern of Russia is caused also by the involvement of the Baltic states in the process. Such a scenario of the further course of events is not rejected, particularly, by the Russian military expert Vladislav Shurygin: “The USA reconfigures its ABM , turning away from land-based objects. It is easy to destroy them by cruising missiles at the very beginning of military operation. Only land-based tracking stations will be deployed in Romania. Washington places its stake on naval ABM, which can be easily moved from one region to another and in elaboration of which the USA advanced greatly. If the intend to deploy similar elements in the Baltic region or somewhere in the north is the determining factor.
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/us-abm-system-europe-what-comes-next
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/us-abm-system-europe-what-comes-next
Is Italy about to ruin the EU economics?
Italy — one of the key countries of the European Union — is at the verge of bankruptcy. Data of the Italian Statistics Institute (Istat) points out to that. According to its information, in the crisis year of 2009 the country has stepped over the red line distinguishing it from the bankruptcy. So during 2009 deficit of the Italian state budget made up 5.3 percents, having beaten the last year results two-fold. This is the worst result during all the surveillance period (since 1971). Meanwhile, the state debt of the country has reached the record mark during the indicated period, having made up 1.761 trillion euro or 115.8 percents of GDP...
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/italy-about-ruin-eu-economics
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/italy-about-ruin-eu-economics
Canada-Russia: between thaws and frosts
Fights for the northern latitude became the basis of Canadian foreign policy in the recent years. During the Olympic Games Harper certainly will repeatedly take this theme up in the process of negotiations with the world leaders, who decided to visit the sports holiday. And at the same time he wants to remind once again that Canada plays an important role on the international stage. As opposed to the “Arctic hysteria”, the latter fact is difficult to contest. That’s quite another story that Canadian authorities would spoil long-standing peace-making public image of the country by its warlike anti-Russian statements.
However, “harpers” and “mackays” go to and fro, while Canada remains. It will always be an interesting country with its national foreign policy. The country that is, simultaneously, political rival and political partner of Russia in the Northern hemisphere. Canada is not only our everlasting hockey adversary — this game can not only separate but also bring countries together. This is what the super series of 70s have proved.
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/canada-ndash-russia-between-thaws-and-frosts
Merkel and Westerwelle: 100 days together
In the beginning of February there was 100-day anniversary of a new “black-and-yellow” German government. There is a tradition in Germany, as well as in many other European countries, to strike the first balance after one hundred days. For Merkel-Westerwelle tandem this balance turned out to be more than controversial…
Making summary of ruling coalition’s activity, we may positively say that it failed to achieve any substantially good results. Its popularity falls: according to surveys, currently “the black-and-yellow” could get far less than a half of votes. Is it a good chance for opposition?
Representatives of social democrats – the largest oppositional party – are quite optimistic. “We shall force the government to play our rules” – stated Hans-Peter Bartels, member of Bundestag. As an example he mentioned Merkel’s decision to buy from a private individual the data about FRG citizens who use “grey schemes” to avoid taxes using Swiss banks, actively supported by his party. However, this optimism is not capable of compensating the fact that Social Democratic Party of Germany suffered a total defeat during the autumn elections. Social democrats have actually only one chance to come to power in the nearest future – to make alliance with the two other oppositional parties represented in the parliament.
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/merkel-and-westerwelle-100-days-together
Making summary of ruling coalition’s activity, we may positively say that it failed to achieve any substantially good results. Its popularity falls: according to surveys, currently “the black-and-yellow” could get far less than a half of votes. Is it a good chance for opposition?
Representatives of social democrats – the largest oppositional party – are quite optimistic. “We shall force the government to play our rules” – stated Hans-Peter Bartels, member of Bundestag. As an example he mentioned Merkel’s decision to buy from a private individual the data about FRG citizens who use “grey schemes” to avoid taxes using Swiss banks, actively supported by his party. However, this optimism is not capable of compensating the fact that Social Democratic Party of Germany suffered a total defeat during the autumn elections. Social democrats have actually only one chance to come to power in the nearest future – to make alliance with the two other oppositional parties represented in the parliament.
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/merkel-and-westerwelle-100-days-together
“Afghan syndrome” of Bundeswehr
September 11, 2001 was a turning point in many senses. New-York events influenced German society in a serious way, and on the wave of sympathizing with victims of terrorists German authorities managed to send Bundeswehr troops to Afghanistan. Federative Republic from the very beginning supported the USA in carrying out “Enduring Freedom” operation which started on October 7, 2001. This mission had its own particularities: in the every beginning German troops acted not on the base of UN or NATO mandate but on the base of bilateral agreement with the USA. Later they entered international ISAF contingent, the task of which was to stabilize the situation in the country and support newly created government.
Germans were given a separate region in relatively quiet north of the country. So Bundeswehr losses appeared to be not very large: today they amount to 33 soldiers and 3 policemen (comparing with 751 men lost by the USA and 188 – by Great Britain). German government worried that more serious losses might cause indignation in German society and kept German soldiers as farther from flashpoints as possible. However, it turned out that German citizens counted not only losses of German army.
On September 4, 2009 on of Bundeswehr officers requested an aircraft attack on the city of Kunduz. It is still unclear, what was the goal of this bombing: first were mentioned two petrol tank trucks hijacked by Taliban, then was mentioned a ban of armed terrorists… More or less clear is number of killed Afghans: about 150, including at least 50 non-combatants.
But this fact was not well-known from the very beginning. On elections’ eve Defense Ministry – and probably some other bodies – preferred to conceal awkward information. Society was deliberately misinformed. And when in the end of autumn the truth began to gradually become clear, a real storm arose...
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/ldquoafghan-syndromerdquo-bundeswehr
Germans were given a separate region in relatively quiet north of the country. So Bundeswehr losses appeared to be not very large: today they amount to 33 soldiers and 3 policemen (comparing with 751 men lost by the USA and 188 – by Great Britain). German government worried that more serious losses might cause indignation in German society and kept German soldiers as farther from flashpoints as possible. However, it turned out that German citizens counted not only losses of German army.
On September 4, 2009 on of Bundeswehr officers requested an aircraft attack on the city of Kunduz. It is still unclear, what was the goal of this bombing: first were mentioned two petrol tank trucks hijacked by Taliban, then was mentioned a ban of armed terrorists… More or less clear is number of killed Afghans: about 150, including at least 50 non-combatants.
But this fact was not well-known from the very beginning. On elections’ eve Defense Ministry – and probably some other bodies – preferred to conceal awkward information. Society was deliberately misinformed. And when in the end of autumn the truth began to gradually become clear, a real storm arose...
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/ldquoafghan-syndromerdquo-bundeswehr
Is cyber war already on?
It is funny that the Russian word “csar” is frequently used in American political lexis. During the last two decades the necessity appeared to appoint a person who would control sophisticated bureaucratic structures in the US administration and report directly to the president. There are csars for emigration, finance, ecology, etc. Richard Clarke was such a “csar” for counterterrorist activity during the presidency of George H. W. Bush, Clinton, and in the first administration of George Bush Jr. He worked for many years in governmental departments, headed counterterrorist activity in the United States National Security Council. In the top of his career Clarke was a member of the president’s cabinet.
Clarke believes that the USA is quite vulnerable facing the threat of the Internet war. He suggests drastic changing of Internet providers system, so that the government could take control in order to protect the country in case of a serious cyber attack. Among his other duties, Clarke was the special advisor to the president on cyber security in 2001, which adds more weight to his predictions. Clarke is sure that the level of the current concealed cyber war is dangerous indeed, that it can turn into a full scale military conflict any time. When asked about his prognosis of the outcome of the war after one of his lectures, he answered that “America may lose the first cyber war”.
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/cyber-war-already-part-1
Clarke believes that the USA is quite vulnerable facing the threat of the Internet war. He suggests drastic changing of Internet providers system, so that the government could take control in order to protect the country in case of a serious cyber attack. Among his other duties, Clarke was the special advisor to the president on cyber security in 2001, which adds more weight to his predictions. Clarke is sure that the level of the current concealed cyber war is dangerous indeed, that it can turn into a full scale military conflict any time. When asked about his prognosis of the outcome of the war after one of his lectures, he answered that “America may lose the first cyber war”.
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/cyber-war-already-part-1
The Relations Triangle: Islam, Russian Orthodox Church and the State in Russia
Collapse of the USSR was marked by a rapid growth of interest among the population in conventional and non-conventional forms of religion, where some sought a new ideology, some an alternative to the annoying communism, while others sought resources for career advancement.
Orthodox Christianity is becoming a sort of main religion of Russia. Notwithstanding the secular Constitution, the leaders of the state attend churches, Orthodox hierarchs voice their expert opinions on a range of political, economic, and cultural issues on governmental TV.
Totally different relations have been evolved between the state and Islam. Russian political analyst Dr. Alexander Sotnichenko points out that for many regions of the Russian Federation Islam started to be a symbol of separatism and secession from Moscow...
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/relations-triangle-islam-russian-orthodox-church-and-state-post-communist-russia
Orthodox Christianity is becoming a sort of main religion of Russia. Notwithstanding the secular Constitution, the leaders of the state attend churches, Orthodox hierarchs voice their expert opinions on a range of political, economic, and cultural issues on governmental TV.
Totally different relations have been evolved between the state and Islam. Russian political analyst Dr. Alexander Sotnichenko points out that for many regions of the Russian Federation Islam started to be a symbol of separatism and secession from Moscow...
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/relations-triangle-islam-russian-orthodox-church-and-state-post-communist-russia
Sanctions against Iran: did the USA manage to bring over Russia and China?
During the last several months Russia has truly made a step towards the West in the issue of Iranian nuclear problem, having admitted a possibility of introducing of new sanctions against the Islamic Republic. However, Russia did not agree to everything the USA proposed in order to “reload” or conclude a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. The statements made by Medvedev and Obama after their last negotiations showed that opinions of the parties still differ seriously.
Yuriy Lamin notes that the present situation does not look very advantageous for the USA as China has finally decided to take part in the negotiations. It makes consensus on sanctions almost impossible.
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/sanctions-against-iran-did-usa-manage-bring-over-russia-and-china
Yuriy Lamin notes that the present situation does not look very advantageous for the USA as China has finally decided to take part in the negotiations. It makes consensus on sanctions almost impossible.
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/sanctions-against-iran-did-usa-manage-bring-over-russia-and-china
New prospects of Russian-Vietnamese cooperation
The next year is to become a momentous event for cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. The republic will celebrate the 65th anniversary of independence, the 35th anniversary of the country’s union (the two events the USSR was directly involved), as well as the 60th anniversary of Vietnam independence recognition by the USSR and establishing of diplomatic intercourse between the two countries. According to the data of the Vietnamese government, within 60 years specialists form the USSR and Russia have actually created basic industry branches, built about 250 industrial objects; in higher education institutes of Moscow and other Soviet cities more than 52 thousand of the Vietnamese citizens obtained qualification. Now they form political, scientific, cultural, and economic elite of the country. After the collapse of the Soviet Union there was a slight stagnation in cooperation between the two countries. However, it was in this period (1994) that an Agreement concerning the basic principles of relations between Vietnam and Russia was developed and signed. Later, alongside with a later adopted Declaration of strategic partnership between the two countries, it became a solid foundation for further development of bilateral relations...
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/new-prospects-russian-vietnamese-cooperation
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/new-prospects-russian-vietnamese-cooperation
A big game around the pipeline Iran-Pakistan-India
Iran possesses large deposits of natural gas, for today confirmed deposits amount to more than 30 trillion cubic meters – the country holds the second place in the world, following the Russian Federation. For recent years production and consumption of natural gas were growing rapidly in Iran, but this country has very limited export capacity. Most of nearest neighbors of Iran, such as Arabic countries of Persian Gulf, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, have their own substantial supplies of hydrocarbon resources. Iran makes attempts to develop the export of liquefied gas, but for that foreign investments and technologies are needed. But due to USA pressing many large western companies have to refuse to cooperate with Iran or suspend cooperation. As a result, two still “free” ways of transporting gas with the help of pipelines are very important for Iran: to Turkey and through it probably to Europe; and to Pakistan, and through it to India or China. Iran already exports gas to Turkey through existing pipeline, but a new pipeline is needed to expand export to Turkey and Europe. However, in this case a new pipeline is to be built in the most mountainous regions of both Iran and Turkey, because the main deposits of gas are situated in the southern part of the country. Therefore, it is suggested that a pipeline through Pakistan may be more advantageous for Iran, taking into consideration the possibility of entering Indian and Chinese markets, which can provide export of Iranian gas for many decades to come. It is planned to take gas for this pipeline from the world’s largest shelf deposit “South Pars” in Persian Gulf; this deposits amounts to 14.2 trillion cubic meters, and production volume, according to some data, can amount up to 150 billion cubic meters of gas per year.
To read more go to http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/big-game-around-pipeline-iran-pakistan-india
To read more go to http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/big-game-around-pipeline-iran-pakistan-india
Helmut Kohl: unifier of Europe or the «Balkan butcher»?
Here is how Helmut Kohl is regarded by Russia intellectual elite:
"Kohl will be remembered in the history books as the German politician who scored the greatest success in the 20th century. He has been at power for 16 years. It was more than Adolf Hitler or Konrad Adenauer. Since 1871, when the united Germany appeared at the European map, there was only one man who ruled longer than Kohl — it was the “Iron Chancellor” Otto von Bismarck. Actually speaking, it is him who Helmut has been compared with — as long as both of them have unified the country. We may, of course, also recall the long-lasting leader of the GDR Erich Honecker, but — unlike Kohl and Bismarck — he had lost his country."
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/helmut-kohl-unifier-europe-or-laquobalkan-butcherraquo-part-1
"Kohl will be remembered in the history books as the German politician who scored the greatest success in the 20th century. He has been at power for 16 years. It was more than Adolf Hitler or Konrad Adenauer. Since 1871, when the united Germany appeared at the European map, there was only one man who ruled longer than Kohl — it was the “Iron Chancellor” Otto von Bismarck. Actually speaking, it is him who Helmut has been compared with — as long as both of them have unified the country. We may, of course, also recall the long-lasting leader of the GDR Erich Honecker, but — unlike Kohl and Bismarck — he had lost his country."
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/helmut-kohl-unifier-europe-or-laquobalkan-butcherraquo-part-1
Falklands or Malvinas?
In February 2010 Argentine gained an important diplomatic victory. During the meeting in Mexico heads of all the Latin American states have unanimously adopted the declaration supporting the Argentinean claims for the disputable archipelago. “Argentine cannot be deprived of the right to possess the Islands” — said Brazilian President Brazilian President Luis Inácio Lula da Silva, voicing the shared position of more than 30 countries of the Western hemisphere. It is an obvious failure of the British Foreign Office. Who is to be blamed?
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/falklands-or-malvinas-part-i-britain-haunted-series-diplomatic-failures
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/falklands-or-malvinas-part-i-britain-haunted-series-diplomatic-failures
Preventive sensation of the Russian Military Doctrine
On October 14, 2009 the Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Nikolai Platonovich Patrushev, being interviewed by the "Izvestia" newspaper, speaking about the contest of the new Russian Military Doctrine stated: “When the national security is threatened the preventive nuclear strike can’t be excluded”. The statement provoked wide response both in Russia and abroad. The preventive use of military force always attracts attention even if there are no direct evidence of such intentions.
Why should Russia frighten anybody with the preventive nuclear strike? - asks Russian political analyst Andrey Pavlov. History shows that the preventive strike was chosen when there was extreme growth of menace that was impossible to stop. Hardly the current situation about Russia develops this way. Terrorism and drug trafficking expansion can’t be tackled with the nuclear weapon. The containment of another state aggressive behavior through the demonstration of more expanded aggression is not worth doing. Nevertheless the negative reaction can be predicted at least on the example of France. Thus the Secretary of Russian Security Council meant the right to be the first to use the nuclear weapon but not preventive strikes. He may have spoken about the preventive strike at “aggressor” and not “potential aggressor”. That is the enemy who conducts the intervention and not just intends to do it or plans it. However western experts reacted rapidly and negatively. When the document was exhibited to the public and there was no point regarding the preventive strike, it was considered that this point remained in closed drafts. And though the meaning of restrictive menaces hidden from the potential aggressor is difficult to understand, the opportunity to blame Russia of being aggressive referring to the Russian menace of preventive strikes will be used more than once... For further reading see
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/preventive-sensation-russian-military-doctrine
Why should Russia frighten anybody with the preventive nuclear strike? - asks Russian political analyst Andrey Pavlov. History shows that the preventive strike was chosen when there was extreme growth of menace that was impossible to stop. Hardly the current situation about Russia develops this way. Terrorism and drug trafficking expansion can’t be tackled with the nuclear weapon. The containment of another state aggressive behavior through the demonstration of more expanded aggression is not worth doing. Nevertheless the negative reaction can be predicted at least on the example of France. Thus the Secretary of Russian Security Council meant the right to be the first to use the nuclear weapon but not preventive strikes. He may have spoken about the preventive strike at “aggressor” and not “potential aggressor”. That is the enemy who conducts the intervention and not just intends to do it or plans it. However western experts reacted rapidly and negatively. When the document was exhibited to the public and there was no point regarding the preventive strike, it was considered that this point remained in closed drafts. And though the meaning of restrictive menaces hidden from the potential aggressor is difficult to understand, the opportunity to blame Russia of being aggressive referring to the Russian menace of preventive strikes will be used more than once... For further reading see
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/preventive-sensation-russian-military-doctrine
Greece: the cradle or the grave of European civilization?
University professors of International Policy Studies throughout the world have been treating the European Union as an example of a democratic, rapidly developing, and exclusively wealthy organization for more than a decade. The current crisis is a serious challenge for the EU. This time weak link is Greece, the country with population of only twelve million, pretending to be the cradle of European civilization. Russian analyst Dr. Alexander Sotnichenko argues that the situation is so acute that the cradle may become the grave of united Europe quite soon... See the whole article here:
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/greece-cradle-or-grave-european-civilization
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/greece-cradle-or-grave-european-civilization
Ukraine’s refusal to join NATO: the return to national interests?
It is ridiculous, but the information that Ukrainian authorities made a decision to dismiss bodies responsible for preparing the Ukrainian entering NATO was hardly noticed. In Russian mass-media the event was almost lost among breaking news about the acts of terrorism, and in foreign mass-media the information was represented only by segmental and moderate comments of experts without any significant political statements concerning the issue.
Mikhail Mizin notes that this topic was reasonably paid little attention in western information field, which once more demonstrated its subjective right for assigning importance rates electively. The current information campaign carried out in accordance with all the rules of PR-technologies and dedicated to a new NATO strategy concept uses specially created web-portals and Internet broadcasting channels. However, this campaign scarcely paid attention to the fact that one of the largest European countries, till the recent moment setting oneself as a candidate to join the block, actually demonstrated its refusal to join.
In the same time, western TV channels continued to thoroughly monitor the operation carried out by International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan under the guidance of NATO, providing that Afghanistan is the country situated thousands of kilometers far from European capitals and separated from Europe by whole steps of civilization development...
See the whole article here:
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/ukrainersquos-refusal-join-nato-return-national-interests
Mikhail Mizin notes that this topic was reasonably paid little attention in western information field, which once more demonstrated its subjective right for assigning importance rates electively. The current information campaign carried out in accordance with all the rules of PR-technologies and dedicated to a new NATO strategy concept uses specially created web-portals and Internet broadcasting channels. However, this campaign scarcely paid attention to the fact that one of the largest European countries, till the recent moment setting oneself as a candidate to join the block, actually demonstrated its refusal to join.
In the same time, western TV channels continued to thoroughly monitor the operation carried out by International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan under the guidance of NATO, providing that Afghanistan is the country situated thousands of kilometers far from European capitals and separated from Europe by whole steps of civilization development...
See the whole article here:
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/ukrainersquos-refusal-join-nato-return-national-interests
A new strategy in Ukrainian-Russian relations?
On the 22nd of April the negotiations between the Ukrainian leader Viktor Yanukovych and the Russian leader Dmitry Medvedev ended in success: important interstate agreements were signed; the main and the most expected among them were contracts concerning renting of the Russian Naval Forces base in Sevastopol, and gas deliveries. The Black Sea Fleet will stay in Sevastopol for 25 years after the end of the renting (2017); and Ukraine receives a significant discount for Russian fuel. Russian political analyst Alexander Sotnichenko asks himself to what extent can the results of the negotiations be treated successful? What will be the consequences of the agreements for Russia, Ukraine, and the whole world?
This was the first time that the Russian president visited Ukraine after “the orange revolution.” The results of presidential elections have clearly demonstrated that Ukrainian people got tired of anti-Russian propaganda which resulted in a breach of political and cultural connections between the two nations, as well as stagnation of economy. Events of the last two months show that Viktor Yanukovych pays much attention to Russian support of Ukrainian development. The discount granted for gas purchase will help to struggle crisis. However, apart from that further mutually profitable relations between industries of the two countries are to be developed, and breached connections are to be restored...
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/new-strategy-ukrainian-russian-relations
This was the first time that the Russian president visited Ukraine after “the orange revolution.” The results of presidential elections have clearly demonstrated that Ukrainian people got tired of anti-Russian propaganda which resulted in a breach of political and cultural connections between the two nations, as well as stagnation of economy. Events of the last two months show that Viktor Yanukovych pays much attention to Russian support of Ukrainian development. The discount granted for gas purchase will help to struggle crisis. However, apart from that further mutually profitable relations between industries of the two countries are to be developed, and breached connections are to be restored...
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/new-strategy-ukrainian-russian-relations
The Kyrgyz “déjà vu”: will the new coup be the last one?
In February 2010 first public protests took place in Kyrgyzstan. People protested against the increase of housing and communal services cost, unprecedented corruption of administrative bodies, and persecution of opposition. On March 17 Kyrgyz opposition gathered a kurultai which categorically demanded the authorities to strip of power the most corrupted officials, including those belonging to the so called “Bakiyev’s clan.” Disorders started later, on the 6th of April, when another planned meeting in Talas turned spontaneously into a capture of the regional administration building followed by an announcement that Sheraly Abdyldaev and Koisun Kurmanalieva replaced the alternative positions of the governor and his deputy respectively.
On April 7, after disorders started in Bishkek and Naryn, President Kurmanbek Bakiyev imposed the state of emergency; and the police and special services arrested many opposition leaders. In return, activists of the take-over captured several high-ranking governmental officials, including the Kirgiz Minister of Internal Affairs Moldomusa Kongantiyev. During the vigil of the house of government aimed shots were made (probably by soldiers of National Guard), then began the assault. In the same time the building of Prosecutor General's Office was set on fire; the building of National Parliament was destroyed; and the television center was captured, which immediately started broadcasting programs with the participation of Bakiyev regime’s opponents. It was stated in the live television broadcast that “the power came to the people” and that the government resigned. The former government was replaced for six months – the term was claimed to be the period needed for preparation and carrying out of democratic elections – by “the government of national confidence” headed by the Kirgiz Minister of Foreign Affairs Roza Otunbayeva. As a result, diarchy was established in the country; it ended on April 15, when President Kurmanbek Bakiyev made the final decision to resign after Kirgiz security agencies, as well as the attitude of international community, went over to the caretaker government...
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/kyrgyz-ldquodeacutejagrave-vurdquo-will-new-coup-be-last-one-part-1
On April 7, after disorders started in Bishkek and Naryn, President Kurmanbek Bakiyev imposed the state of emergency; and the police and special services arrested many opposition leaders. In return, activists of the take-over captured several high-ranking governmental officials, including the Kirgiz Minister of Internal Affairs Moldomusa Kongantiyev. During the vigil of the house of government aimed shots were made (probably by soldiers of National Guard), then began the assault. In the same time the building of Prosecutor General's Office was set on fire; the building of National Parliament was destroyed; and the television center was captured, which immediately started broadcasting programs with the participation of Bakiyev regime’s opponents. It was stated in the live television broadcast that “the power came to the people” and that the government resigned. The former government was replaced for six months – the term was claimed to be the period needed for preparation and carrying out of democratic elections – by “the government of national confidence” headed by the Kirgiz Minister of Foreign Affairs Roza Otunbayeva. As a result, diarchy was established in the country; it ended on April 15, when President Kurmanbek Bakiyev made the final decision to resign after Kirgiz security agencies, as well as the attitude of international community, went over to the caretaker government...
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/kyrgyz-ldquodeacutejagrave-vurdquo-will-new-coup-be-last-one-part-1
Non-proletarian solidarity
During his recent visit to Venezuela Vladimir Putin confirmed that Russia will issue this state a loan worth of 2.2 billion USD for purchase of Russian arms as well as drew a cheque for 600 million USD which entitles to develop Khunin-6, the largest oil field. This step was evaluated ambiguously: someone considers the Russian administration wastes money fostering “parasitical” nature of the Latin Americans. Meanwhile, to preserve an image of great world power Russia should be able to arrange not only short-term commercial transactions with its partners.
The doctrine of not allowing any “sponsorship” to foreign partners has been dominating in Russian external policy for a long time. All the relations were considered to be built on the pure commercial basis: money in the morning – goods in the evening.
This point of view stems from deplorable experience of the USSR foreign policy. In Soviet times this country was known to provide multilateral generous aid to the Socialist camp “brothers” who were willing to declare just the route of friendship with Moscow. Later many of those “friends” turned their backs to Russia and succeeded in forgeting its good deeds as quickly as possible.
Pavel Zaharov notes that clear changes have emerged recently: once again Russia expresses its power readiness if not for charity, then for crediting. It is about crediting that we speak in the case of 2.2 billion USD – money is given to make commissions for Russian military equipment and then will be gradually paid out by Venezuela...
To read the whole text go to
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/non-proletarian-solidarity-part-i
The doctrine of not allowing any “sponsorship” to foreign partners has been dominating in Russian external policy for a long time. All the relations were considered to be built on the pure commercial basis: money in the morning – goods in the evening.
This point of view stems from deplorable experience of the USSR foreign policy. In Soviet times this country was known to provide multilateral generous aid to the Socialist camp “brothers” who were willing to declare just the route of friendship with Moscow. Later many of those “friends” turned their backs to Russia and succeeded in forgeting its good deeds as quickly as possible.
Pavel Zaharov notes that clear changes have emerged recently: once again Russia expresses its power readiness if not for charity, then for crediting. It is about crediting that we speak in the case of 2.2 billion USD – money is given to make commissions for Russian military equipment and then will be gradually paid out by Venezuela...
To read the whole text go to
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/non-proletarian-solidarity-part-i
Tight corners of “great” and “regional” powers
The Karabakh conflict appeared to be the first serious challenge for the EU Caucasian policy. The beginning of a large-scale war between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the following occupation of 20 percent of Azerbaijani territory must have defined the European attitude towards these devastating events, because it was obvious that international agreements in the sphere of European security were violated. However, despite this, the Europeans preferred to analyze the events not from the point of view of the Helsinki Agreement, but from the neutral point of view, intending not to hurt any party in the conflict.
In the 90s such a position was profitable for Europe, because Baku and Erevan, trying to achieve the conflict settlement in the way beneficial for each of them, along with other centers of global politics (Washington and Moscow) appealed to the Europeans, who, as if attracting Azerbaijan and Armenia to be the part of their sphere of influence, contributed greatly to the admission of these states to almost all existing European political structures and institutions. In fact it was clear that for these “concessions” the Europeans will demand from Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia to modernize their political system so that it could be controlled by the Europeans. And if Tbilisi accepted the terms, Baku and Erevan preferred to choose their own path. But in word they continued to follow democratic and European principles. The Europeans in turn pretended that despite some errors Azerbaijan and Armenia construct the democracy. The conflict is still unsolved though great powers and regional leaders like Turkey are still making great peace-making efforts...
See the whole text on http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/tight-corners-ldquogreatrdquo-and-ldquoregionalrdquo-powers-part-ii-ldquoturkish-marchrdquo-
In the 90s such a position was profitable for Europe, because Baku and Erevan, trying to achieve the conflict settlement in the way beneficial for each of them, along with other centers of global politics (Washington and Moscow) appealed to the Europeans, who, as if attracting Azerbaijan and Armenia to be the part of their sphere of influence, contributed greatly to the admission of these states to almost all existing European political structures and institutions. In fact it was clear that for these “concessions” the Europeans will demand from Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia to modernize their political system so that it could be controlled by the Europeans. And if Tbilisi accepted the terms, Baku and Erevan preferred to choose their own path. But in word they continued to follow democratic and European principles. The Europeans in turn pretended that despite some errors Azerbaijan and Armenia construct the democracy. The conflict is still unsolved though great powers and regional leaders like Turkey are still making great peace-making efforts...
See the whole text on http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/tight-corners-ldquogreatrdquo-and-ldquoregionalrdquo-powers-part-ii-ldquoturkish-marchrdquo-
Stalin's place in history
Now, in 2010, there is no more promoted by mass-media and controversial politician than Stalin. There is no modern leader who would gather as many advocates and critics as Stalin. There is no other person in the Russian Federation who would gather many thousand meetings and disputes in TV-channel studios, or to whose activity so many books and articles would be dedicated. There is an obvious example: the most expensive Russian film ever “Burnt by the Sun 2” by Nikita Mikhalkov also depicts Stalin as one of the main characters.
why is this person still a subject for active political disputes? Alexander Sotnichenko from "East-West Review" sees the answer in the following: for the last 20 years modern Russia failed to determine the way of further development. Having appeared on the ruins of the Soviet empire, the Russian Federation has failed to form its attitude towards predecessors, faced a too serious choice, and still does not have enough resoluteness to determine historical priorities fairly. No doubt, Stalin is the most prominent Russian leader during the most decisive period of Russian history in the 20th century. This period includes such crucial events as the industrialization, the Great Patriotic War, and turning of the USSR into the superpower. Stalin became a symbol of the Soviet Union as a geopolitical project; and attitude towards Stalin directly depends on the attitude towards the historical period of 1917-1991...
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/stalin-searching-place-history-dedicated-65th-anniversary-victory-over-nazism
why is this person still a subject for active political disputes? Alexander Sotnichenko from "East-West Review" sees the answer in the following: for the last 20 years modern Russia failed to determine the way of further development. Having appeared on the ruins of the Soviet empire, the Russian Federation has failed to form its attitude towards predecessors, faced a too serious choice, and still does not have enough resoluteness to determine historical priorities fairly. No doubt, Stalin is the most prominent Russian leader during the most decisive period of Russian history in the 20th century. This period includes such crucial events as the industrialization, the Great Patriotic War, and turning of the USSR into the superpower. Stalin became a symbol of the Soviet Union as a geopolitical project; and attitude towards Stalin directly depends on the attitude towards the historical period of 1917-1991...
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/stalin-searching-place-history-dedicated-65th-anniversary-victory-over-nazism
Building a pan-Eurasian security community?
As the post-cold war moment of US unilateralism is slowly passing away, the new age of multilateralism is firmly grounded in improved bilateral relations. At present, the clearest example of this trend is the "reset" of US-Russia relations. By contrast with a dangerous escalation of tensions between East and West during the Georgian conflict in August 2008, President Obama is genuinely committed to ending the new "Cold War of minds" and inaugurating an era of careful cooperation and perhaps even a wide-ranging partnership with Moscow. The START treaty signed last month in Prague is a small yet significant element in consolidating the "reset" and strengthening ties with the Kremlin under President Medvedev. US-Russian engagement is also key to successful negotiations on further nuclear arms reduction, non-proliferation and a deal with Tehran on its nuclear ambitions.
Today's Russia is just as unsure about its global role as the post-Lisbon EU and Obama-led USA. Like the rest of the ‘other Europe’, Moscow is disillusioned with Brussels and focuses instead on strengthening bilateral ties with big countries such as Germany, France and Italy. It is also forging deeper links with Turkey and the Ukraine in the hope of extending its ‘sphere of privileged interests’ and providing a counterweight to what the Kremlin views as the idea of a narrow Europe dominated by its western part and ruled by the EU. NATO expansion is still the single most poisonous element of Russia’s relations with the US and Europe, even if security cooperation in a number of areas has been more effective in recent months.
Adrian Pabst argues that it is not clear what strategic importance the Kremlin ascribes to the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) – not least because Russia is vying with China over geo-political hegemony in central Asia. This, coupled with the recognition that other groupings like BRIC won’t mutate into military alliances, explains why from the outset of his mandate President Medvedev has been pushing for a new pan-Eurasian security framework from Vancouver to Vladivostok...
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/building-pan-eurasian-security-community
Today's Russia is just as unsure about its global role as the post-Lisbon EU and Obama-led USA. Like the rest of the ‘other Europe’, Moscow is disillusioned with Brussels and focuses instead on strengthening bilateral ties with big countries such as Germany, France and Italy. It is also forging deeper links with Turkey and the Ukraine in the hope of extending its ‘sphere of privileged interests’ and providing a counterweight to what the Kremlin views as the idea of a narrow Europe dominated by its western part and ruled by the EU. NATO expansion is still the single most poisonous element of Russia’s relations with the US and Europe, even if security cooperation in a number of areas has been more effective in recent months.
Adrian Pabst argues that it is not clear what strategic importance the Kremlin ascribes to the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) – not least because Russia is vying with China over geo-political hegemony in central Asia. This, coupled with the recognition that other groupings like BRIC won’t mutate into military alliances, explains why from the outset of his mandate President Medvedev has been pushing for a new pan-Eurasian security framework from Vancouver to Vladivostok...
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/building-pan-eurasian-security-community
Poland in the epoch of Kaczyński: destabilizing factor
Several weeks have passed since the air crash near Smolensk - and several weeks since the pompous funerals of the former Polish president in the kings' tomb in Vawel and official mourning in several European countries.
However, one could hardly use such definitions as “benefit” and “success” to describe Kaczyński’s presidency. Countless phobias, unending hysteria, officially declared hostility to the nearest neighbors, as well as clear political ruffianism have never provided an official with any advantages. Just a month ago everyone was sure that Kaczyński would enter history as one of the most mediocre Polish leaders. Now that president is buried in a tomb of Wawel in Krakow among great Polish kings of the past and sentimental community preferred to forget about mistakes, fallacies, and stubborn nationalism of Mr Kaczyński, calling him “a patriot” or even “a great statesman.” Andrey Martyanov writes that quite a Nietzschean idea comes to mind: a person who has done one folly is an unlucky one, a person who has done ten is a fool, and a person who has done thousand is a hero...
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/poland-epoch-kaczynski-destabilizing-factor
However, one could hardly use such definitions as “benefit” and “success” to describe Kaczyński’s presidency. Countless phobias, unending hysteria, officially declared hostility to the nearest neighbors, as well as clear political ruffianism have never provided an official with any advantages. Just a month ago everyone was sure that Kaczyński would enter history as one of the most mediocre Polish leaders. Now that president is buried in a tomb of Wawel in Krakow among great Polish kings of the past and sentimental community preferred to forget about mistakes, fallacies, and stubborn nationalism of Mr Kaczyński, calling him “a patriot” or even “a great statesman.” Andrey Martyanov writes that quite a Nietzschean idea comes to mind: a person who has done one folly is an unlucky one, a person who has done ten is a fool, and a person who has done thousand is a hero...
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/poland-epoch-kaczynski-destabilizing-factor
The Yalta System still alive?
Sixty five years ago in the Crimea the second conference of the Allies took place, including marshal Joseph Stalin, the prime minister Winston Churchill, and the president Franklin Roosevelt. It is often stated that Yalta is the turning point in the history of modern Europe: there the borders have been established which remain unchanged till now; “spheres of influence” of the West and the USSR have been determined, which has later caused the appearance of two military blocks; and the fate of post-war Germany has been determined, as well. The Yalta system has proved stable; and until recently none has dared to argue the existing borders in Central and Eastern Europe. As for the scheme of balance between the East and the West, it still exists despite the collapse of the Soviet Union and NATO expansion to the East.
How serious may be consequences for Europe and Russia, if the main principles of the Yalta agreements are undone? A point of view has appeared that these decisions are to be revised. The answer is obvious: such revision, especially the one of state borders, may cause a new global catastrophe. Those who call upon “finishing Yalta for ever” hardly realize what terrible daemons they may summon.
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/yalta-system-and-central-europe-1945-2010
How serious may be consequences for Europe and Russia, if the main principles of the Yalta agreements are undone? A point of view has appeared that these decisions are to be revised. The answer is obvious: such revision, especially the one of state borders, may cause a new global catastrophe. Those who call upon “finishing Yalta for ever” hardly realize what terrible daemons they may summon.
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/yalta-system-and-central-europe-1945-2010
START: victory or defeat?
On April 8, 2010 Presidents of the Russian Federation and USA, finally signed Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) in Prague. According to the treaty the parties are committed to limit their operatively deployed nuclear forces to 700 carriers (800 of deployed and non-deployed) and 1550 warheads. What is even more important, the text includes a detailed system of definitions and calculation rules.
Russia and the USA had been attempting to work out the provisions of a new agreement for more than a year. According to the Russian expert Andrey Pavlov the lack of mutual trust between Vladimir Putin and G.W.Bush made achievement of more or less serious agreement in the field of nuclear arms impossible during that administration. Some hope appeared only when the new US president came to power.
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/start-victory-or-defeat
Russia and the USA had been attempting to work out the provisions of a new agreement for more than a year. According to the Russian expert Andrey Pavlov the lack of mutual trust between Vladimir Putin and G.W.Bush made achievement of more or less serious agreement in the field of nuclear arms impossible during that administration. Some hope appeared only when the new US president came to power.
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/start-victory-or-defeat
Smolensk crash and its consequences
Russian-Polish relations have been really tough for decades. Are things changing now, after Polish political leaders are dead after a severe plane crash near Smolensk, and the Poles believed that Russia's sympathies were sincere and coming from heart?
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/consequences-katyn
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/consequences-katyn
Russia-NATO: is there room for maneuvre?
The new Military Doctrine of the Russian Federation accepted in February of the current year by the ordinance of the Russian president Dmitry Medvedev attracted the public attention and caused fierce debates on the perspective of Russia-NATO relations. Experts’ opinions on the issue differ significantly, however, overlapping in the main field – the future of both regional European and global political systems dependa on the strategy selection. Please, read this article and express your opinions:
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/russia-nato-there-room-maneuver
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/russia-nato-there-room-maneuver
The place of North Caucasus in Russia and disputes concerning new identification
Acts of terrorism in Moscow subway and in Caucasus gave nationalists and liberals one more chance to talk about impossibility of maintaining of territorial integrity of the Russian Federation. Disputes concerning future of Russia and its integrity appear not only here, but also abroad. The main idea of separatists is that Russia can not keep peace in Caucasus, Russia does not need Caucasus, and Russia is either to turn into nation state, or to undergo all the stages of deconstruction in order to fully enter the family of European nations. Whether nationalism can stop terrorism? Whether Russians and peoples of North Caucasus become friends after a possible fragmentation of the state?
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/place-north-caucasus-russia-and-disputes-concerning-new-identification
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/place-north-caucasus-russia-and-disputes-concerning-new-identification
Iranian policy in Afghanistan
Much is being talked about Iran. And Afghanistan never goes off the papers' headlines. But Did you hear anyone talking about the Iranians in Afghanistan?
Afghanistan has always been one of the priorities of Iranian foreign policy. It is connected both with the common border and with the fact that Afghanistan is a part of the ancient Iranian-speaking world and it has long-standing cultural, economic and political ties with Iran. It is difficult to imagine any serious problem resolving in modern Afghanistan without active participation of Iran, moreover it is necessary to mention that problems of the Afghans has already become problems of the Iranian people...
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/iranian-policy-afghanistan
Afghanistan has always been one of the priorities of Iranian foreign policy. It is connected both with the common border and with the fact that Afghanistan is a part of the ancient Iranian-speaking world and it has long-standing cultural, economic and political ties with Iran. It is difficult to imagine any serious problem resolving in modern Afghanistan without active participation of Iran, moreover it is necessary to mention that problems of the Afghans has already become problems of the Iranian people...
http://www.eastwest-review.com/article/iranian-policy-afghanistan
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