Comments on: Final Thoughts from Moscow http://blog.psaonline.org/2008/11/28/final-thoughts-from-moscow/ Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:45:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: W George Krasnow http://blog.psaonline.org/2008/11/28/final-thoughts-from-moscow/comment-page-1/#comment-1711159 W George Krasnow Mon, 23 Feb 2009 22:00:02 +0000 http://blog.psaonline.org/?p=835#comment-1711159 All Five points of Rojansky are very reasonable. My favorite is #5, Change the tone. The US can help ourselves immensely when it comes to Russia by showing a modicum of understanding for Russia?s security interests, its history, and what might be called its national ?sense of self.? We should finally take Jackson-Vanick off the books, and should consider taking a harder look at our rhetoric toward Russia?s former satellites in Eastern Europe, where new governments too often cozy up to virulently anti-Russian, even neo-fascist nationalists. It would cost the US very little, and would deliver huge returns in Russian goodwill. I don't see how the Russians may respond less than favorably. That's the place to start. W. George Krasnow Russia & America Goodwill Associates, Washington DC All Five points of Rojansky are very reasonable. My favorite is #5, Change the tone. The US can help ourselves immensely when it comes to Russia by showing a modicum of understanding for Russia?s security interests, its history, and what might be called its national ?sense of self.? We should finally take Jackson-Vanick off the books, and should consider taking a harder look at our rhetoric toward Russia?s former satellites in Eastern Europe, where new governments too often cozy up to virulently anti-Russian, even neo-fascist nationalists. It would cost the US very little, and would deliver huge returns in Russian goodwill.

I don’t see how the Russians may respond less than favorably. That’s the place to start.

W. George Krasnow
Russia & America Goodwill Associates, Washington DC

]]> By: GuideMoscow.com - Recent Top Moscow News » Blog Archive » A bipartisan approach to Russia http://blog.psaonline.org/2008/11/28/final-thoughts-from-moscow/comment-page-1/#comment-1636650 GuideMoscow.com - Recent Top Moscow News » Blog Archive » A bipartisan approach to Russia Thu, 29 Jan 2009 11:22:02 +0000 http://blog.psaonline.org/?p=835#comment-1636650 [...] friend of mine who runs a think tank in DC was in Moscow late last month and filed these three dispatches on his organization’s blog. Worth checking out if you’re interested in contemplating [...] [...] friend of mine who runs a think tank in DC was in Moscow late last month and filed these three dispatches on his organization’s blog. Worth checking out if you’re interested in contemplating [...]

]]> By: Michael Averko http://blog.psaonline.org/2008/11/28/final-thoughts-from-moscow/comment-page-1/#comment-1552784 Michael Averko Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:43:19 +0000 http://blog.psaonline.org/?p=835#comment-1552784 Interesting thoughts. Medvedev's hard line state-of-the-nation address was no doubt in reply to some of the comments made by Obama about Russia during the US presidential campaign. American mass media punditry spins Medvedev as starting things off on a wrong track. I'm often astonished by how some are selective in what they characterize as unnecessarily rhetorical commentary. In the sport of ice hockey, it's understood that chippy play can result in payback. This applies in other instances. A good point is made about the kind of non-Russian nationalism evident elsewhere in the former Communist bloc. A good deal of commentary was raised about Stalin receiving under 12% of the vote in a contest to determine who Russians regard as their most popular historical figure. Rather than highlight the under 12% figure, much was stressed about how he finished third behind Aleksandr Nevsky and Pyotr Stolypin. Some have questioned how accurate the result reflects Russian public opinion. In the beginning of the contest, it was thought that a coterie of pro-Stalin zealots were "stuffing the ballot box" (sports terminology used when describing how the fans of some teams will repeatedly vote for their favorite players for all star game status over more qualified others). A good number of Diaspora Russians and those in Russia have expressed to me surprise with Stolypin finishing second. There's no Stalin holiday or an attempt to initiate one. This contrasts from a newly created holiday in Ukraine: http://www.russiatoday.com/news/news/35310 In English language mass media, there's little if any criticism of this holiday. I wonder what kind of deals might've occurred to get this Ukrainian holiday passed in the Rada (Ukraine's parliament)? Stepan Bandera appears to be a regional figure along the lines of Robert E. Lee. There's reason to question Symon Petliura's overall popularity in Ukraine as well. Interesting thoughts.

Medvedev’s hard line state-of-the-nation address was no doubt in reply to some of the comments made by Obama about Russia during the US presidential campaign. American mass media punditry spins Medvedev as starting things off on a wrong track. I’m often astonished by how some are selective in what they characterize as unnecessarily rhetorical commentary. In the sport of ice hockey, it’s understood that chippy play can result in payback. This applies in other instances.

A good point is made about the kind of non-Russian nationalism evident elsewhere in the former Communist bloc. A good deal of commentary was raised about Stalin receiving under 12% of the vote in a contest to determine who Russians regard as their most popular historical figure. Rather than highlight the under 12% figure, much was stressed about how he finished third behind Aleksandr Nevsky and Pyotr Stolypin.

Some have questioned how accurate the result reflects Russian public opinion. In the beginning of the contest, it was thought that a coterie of pro-Stalin zealots were “stuffing the ballot box” (sports terminology used when describing how the fans of some teams will repeatedly vote for their favorite players for all star game status over more qualified others). A good number of Diaspora Russians and those in Russia have expressed to me surprise with Stolypin finishing second.

There’s no Stalin holiday or an attempt to initiate one. This contrasts from a newly created holiday in Ukraine:
http://www.russiatoday.com/news/news/35310

In English language mass media, there’s little if any criticism of this holiday. I wonder what kind of deals might’ve occurred to get this Ukrainian holiday passed in the Rada (Ukraine’s parliament)? Stepan Bandera appears to be a regional figure along the lines of Robert E. Lee. There’s reason to question Symon Petliura’s overall popularity in Ukraine as well.

]]> By: patricia aishton http://blog.psaonline.org/2008/11/28/final-thoughts-from-moscow/comment-page-1/#comment-1477855 patricia aishton Tue, 16 Dec 2008 07:58:31 +0000 http://blog.psaonline.org/?p=835#comment-1477855 It is always very interesting to hear points of view about Russia via Americans who do not spend the bulk of their time here. I am American and have lived in Russia a long time without benefit of "support". It helps with perspective. It is always very interesting to hear points of view about Russia via Americans who do not spend the bulk of their time here.
I am American and have lived in Russia a long time without benefit of “support”. It helps with perspective.

]]>