In his weekly newsletter, John Mauldin has again published a report from Stratfor regarding Russia and its relations with the West. Interestingly, Russia over the past few days has intentionally sought to provoke the United States by engaging in naval military maneuvers in the Western Hemisphere with Venezuela in clear defiance of the Monroe Doctrine. The White House press secretary brushed aside the significance of the event by saying that these Russian ships were the only ones the Russians could find that could make it as far as Venezuela, but we in the West would be wise not to underestimate the determination of the Russian bear, given its long history and recurring character.
This article draws from the writings of Alexander Solzhenitzen, the former political prisoner of the Soviet Union who published his book, "The Gulag Archipelago" more than 25 years ago. I remember reading his book as a teenager (yeah, heavy stuff for a sixteen-year-old), and was shocked that such places existed in this world. It was about 800 pages! But it opened my eyes to the real world, and it was an awakening that every citizen of the West could benefit from. Solzhenitsyn died just days before the invasion of Russian troops into Georgia, but his characterization of the Russian political soul is just as timely and accurate today as it was nearly three decades ago. Ironically, even though the Soviets permitted the book to be published, they continued to maintain their gulags until the very last day when the Soviet empire was (supposedly) vanquished.
Just as existed in the West during the Soviet era, many in the West today, especially among the intellectual class, deny the true monstrosity of what is happening in today's Russia.
This article draws from the writings of Alexander Solzhenitzen, the former political prisoner of the Soviet Union who published his book, "The Gulag Archipelago" more than 25 years ago. I remember reading his book as a teenager (yeah, heavy stuff for a sixteen-year-old), and was shocked that such places existed in this world. It was about 800 pages! But it opened my eyes to the real world, and it was an awakening that every citizen of the West could benefit from. Solzhenitsyn died just days before the invasion of Russian troops into Georgia, but his characterization of the Russian political soul is just as timely and accurate today as it was nearly three decades ago. Ironically, even though the Soviets permitted the book to be published, they continued to maintain their gulags until the very last day when the Soviet empire was (supposedly) vanquished.
Just as existed in the West during the Soviet era, many in the West today, especially among the intellectual class, deny the true monstrosity of what is happening in today's Russia.
Here is John Mauldin's introduction of the article:
"Read this obituary essay from my friend George Friedman over at Stratfor. George puts Solzhenitsyn in historical context, using his life and writings to illustrate not just the evolution of the Russian/Soviet/Russian system but also the Western perception of Russia and what it says about future relations. It's uncannily ironic that Solzhenitsyn died just days before Russia forcefully punctuated its geopolitical prominence in going to war with Georgia. You can almost imagine Solzhenitsyn shrugging and asking, "What did you expect?" Over the Labor Day weekend, Russian President Medvedev used a press interview to lay out five points that will define Russian foreign policy going forward. Allow me to translate (loosely) from the Russian: 'We're back.'"Here is the full article. Do not pass this over! This is truly fascinating stuff:
Solzhenitsyn and the Struggle for Russia's Soul
