Aug

31

Is Putin a Closet Republican?

August 31, 2008 | 311 Comments

If Putin was an American politician, what would he be?  He is conservative, deeply religious, a patriot, and strong partisan for Russian traditions.
Given this, I doubt we would have seen Putin strutting about on the DNC’s American Idol-esque stage, swearing his undying, almost cultic allegiance to Barak Obama.  It’s more likely we would find him [...]

Popularity: 6% [?]

Aug

30

Ossetian Numbers Game

August 30, 2008 | 15 Comments

How many Ossetians died as the result of Georgia’s attack?  The numbers have been a constant point of speculation over the last two weeks.  In the immediate aftermath of the attack, Russia claimed 1,600-2,000 deaths.  By 21 August the Financial Times was reporting that the Russians could only confirm 133 civilian deaths, though Boris Salmakov [...]

Popularity: 3% [?]

Aug

30

Vesti Translates Fox News

August 30, 2008 | 26 Comments

Here is how the Fox News interview with that American-Ossetian girl and her aunt is being reported in the Russian news.  I think even non-Russian speakers will get a sense of the hatchet job done on this just from the translator’s tone and coughing.  If Vesti really wants to get schooled in propaganda production, they [...]

Popularity: 12% [?]

Aug

29

Satellite Images Show Ossetian Wrath

August 29, 2008 | 56 Comments

Today, Human Rights Watch released more evidence of what it calls “the widespread torching of ethnic Georgian villages inside South Ossetia.”  According to satellite images provided by UNOSAT, the torching of five Georgian villages, Tamarasheni, Kekhvi, Kvemo Achabeti (Nizhnie Achaveti in Russian), Zemo Achabeti (Verkhnie Achaveti in Russian), and Kurta, occurred on August 10, 12, [...]

Popularity: 4% [?]

Aug

29

Cold War II as Comfortable Shoes

August 29, 2008 | 7 Comments

A colleague sent me this cartoon from the 1 September issue of the New Yorker.  It’s quite an appropriate addendum to “Loving Cold War II.”

Popularity: 3% [?]

Popularity: 3% [?]

Aug

28

Putin on CNN

August 28, 2008 | 87 Comments

So far it’s just a short clip .  Hopefully, CNN will make the whole interview available.  But this clip contains what everyone is talking about.  Namely, Putin’s suggestion that the Bush Administration provoked this war to help John McCain.  I think Putin made a big PR blunder.  His words will be sent through the American [...]

Popularity: 4% [?]

Aug

28

Loving Cold War II

August 28, 2008 | 14 Comments

My article, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Cold War II, is on Pajamas Media.  It will be interesting to see how the site’s mostly conservative readers respond to a combination of cultural analysis and satire.  Here is an opening taste:
The past two weeks have been a virtual Cold War flashback. Russia invades [...]

Popularity: 3% [?]

Aug

27

South Ossetia and Abkhazia Recognized

August 27, 2008 | 51 Comments

As we all well know, Russian President Dmitri Medvedev did the deed and recognized the independence South Ossetia and Abkhazia.  A chorus of condemnation, disappointment, and warning immediately followed.
US Secretary Rice: “I want to be very clear, since the United States is a permanent member of the [UN] Security Council, this simply will be dead [...]

Popularity: 5% [?]

Aug

27

Limonov’s Phone, Books, Chairs, and Heater Seized

August 27, 2008 | 20 Comments

While everyone is focused on Medvedev’s recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, life goes on as usual in Russia .  Perhaps, all too usual.  Yesterday, court agents seized National Bolshevik leader Eduard Limonov’s property and forbade him from leaving the country. The move was to figure out how much the writer owns so he can [...]

Popularity: 3% [?]

Aug

24

The Withdrawal Method

August 24, 2008 | 136 Comments

The Russians say they’ve pulled out of Georgia.  George Bush and Nicholas Sarkozy charge they didn’t pull out.  All this talk of pulling out sounds like they’re arguing whether Russia knocked up Georgia.
Well something is certainly gestating in Georgia. And the Russia-Georgia love child appears to be occupation.  Russia’s gradual pull out has left a [...]

Popularity: 4% [?]

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