Review of a book recently released trying to capture the current Russian frame of mind.
In place of communism, Russians adopted messianic nationalism. In Mr. Mian’s travelogue, we meet person after person who professes adherence to Russian Orthodox Christianity, but no one speaks of salvation, sacraments or even Jesus. Priests as well as laymen view their religion as a liturgy celebrating Russia’s glorious history. “Our faith and Russia’s fate are inextricably linked,” one young priest explains. He and others describe the Ukrainian war, regarded as a struggle against corrupting Western civilization, in apocalyptic terms.
It gets much worse from there.
Back from my trip. From when I got up Sat morning on the Cruise Ship, until I walked into my front door, about 31 hours. Still feeling it.
Was in Sams yesterday, and noticed that price for Ribeye’s are going down. What a bad economy we have.
Big snow day off for many on the north east coast
Here’s an interesting speculation on Tucker Carlson’s very odd sudden bursts of laughter. The author thinks it’s possibly a symptom of either addiction or a neurological disorder.
I’m kinda impressed with the ballet dancer showing her learning curves, as well as nice physical curves.
She’s more than ok.
So is Trump’s economy, more than ok.
Combo of America first tariffs AND enforcement of immigration laws/ means much better, and affordable, economy for middle & low middle workers.
Those who were fraud beneficiaries are not so happy.
Only 1.4% GDP growth in 4th qtr—great because all the drop was govt & fraud. Fraud spending is added in to GDP, reducing fraud reduces GDP.
The dancer vs skater may be mostly muscle memory and body expecting forces en point or at the ball of the foot, versus that slippery slipper thing under her foot as well as the rotation speed when trying spinny things. She’s a trooper nonetheless.
I can’t dance so it is rankest of speculations.
1) 100% agree with Neo and others that Trump is an outside-the-box thinker. And just as good is the fact that he and his administration are adept at identifying “all the boxes” – a key part of understanding/ defining boundaries and options.
• In many instances that “all the boxes” identification by the Trump administration is focused on what is in the legislation – including what is not commonly used, not recently used, has been overlooked, etc.
• And in many instances the Trump administration then uses that legislation – uses that power – to benefit the USA, even though they know that much of what they do will be challenged by opponents.
2) 100% agree that it may have been possible to use the tariff authority identified in other legislation/ boxes; however, the ability of a President to use the IEEPA regulatory authority was a power worth using – knowing that it would be challenged – versus conceding the power without a fight.
• Not commonly used, or not recently used, or overlooked is not the same as wrong or harmful. And not using power can weaken the Executive branch’s ability to respond to the needs of the time – see recent illegal immigrants detention without bond decision.
3) 100% agree that I am not equipped through education or experience to determine if the recent IEEPA decision was rightfully decided from a legal standpoint – have read persuasive thought from others pro & con.
• However, as a citizen I know that in my lifetime there have been Supreme Court decisions that fail common sense/ fair play, or seem more political/ social than constitutional – see 1973 Abortion (Roe v. Wade), 1977 Union Fees (Abood v. Detroit Board of Education), 1984 Agency Interpretations (Chevron U.S.A. v. NRDC), 2003 Uni Admissions (Grutter v. Bollinger), 2005 Imminent Domain (Kelo v. City of New London), 2012 ACA/ Obamacare (National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius).
4) 100% impressed with how Trump and his administration have used tariffs to benefit the USA both tangibly (see income stream, manufacturing onshoring, trade agreements, reduced foreign tariffs, closed trade loopholes,, etc.) and intangibly (see ending wars, redefined coalitions, understanding USA territory is a secure choice, etc.).
• And impressed with how Trump and his administration unequivocally demonstrated that those who predicted disastrous economic outcomes had at best a “poor understanding” – see history and 2025/ 2026 results.
5) 100% believe that this has been the best executive branch – President, VP, Cabinet, WH staff, Agencies, etc. – in my lifetime, and is arguably one of the best administrations in our nation’s almost 250 year history.
• The sheer volume and magnitude of accomplishments in 13 months has been amazing – by any standard: first 100 days, first year, entire term, 1st & 2nd term.
• And more importantly Trump and his administration are not done with setting this country and future generations up for success – see Economic Security is National Security, and hopefully Sovereign Wealth.
BTW – I may not read this blog daily; however, when I do I make sure to read the comments – great part of most blogs – and can truly say that the Punch/om & Judy/Bauxite show always makes me smile.
I read about a study done on how figure skaters do it. They spin too fast to spot like ballet dancers do, but they don’t get vertigo.
“Finally, I think it is worth noting that the financial markets did not react to today’s decision, either positively or negatively. If it were true that tariffs would devastate our economy, as liberals have claimed, today’s news should have caused the markets to skyrocket. Conversely, of course, if the tariffs were seen by sophisticated observers as a great boon to our economy, the markets should have tanked. The fact that neither happened suggests that the overall impact of tariffs, at least in the short term, was close to being a wash.” — John Hinderaker/ Powerline
• 100% disagree with Hinderaker’ observation – and also find it disingenuous.
• The financial markets are at all-time highs and many have learned-a-lesson – see Dow, S&P, ill-fated sell-offs & shorts, etc. – because they realized that Trump was right about tariffs – see beneficial.
• And the financial markets are still at all-time highs because they heard Trump – and his administration – immediately state that they have plans to continue tariffs – see Trump announced a new global tariff on the same day as the IEEPA SC decision was announced.
Well, the Dow is down about 700 at the moment. Tariffs may be only part of the reasons, however, and I usually look for some sort of hysteria and a recovery within a couple of days.
I can tell you right now that no one knows why the Dow or any other market average goes up or down. All they ever do is give you a just-so story in hindsight; they just choose some event they wish to credit or blame.
Anyone who really knows why the market does what it does is too busy driving their Lamborghinis to and from the bank to write up a story for the pundits.
Our gracious host can explain the rules for ballet, but the dancer seems to be spinning on the wrong foot usually used in figure skating spins, unless there is something funky going on with the camera angle or she is mirroring it.
Normally, when you step on to an ice rink to skate, everyone is traveling counter-clockwise relative to your front-facing position. In theory, each step is a leading left arm/left foot, with the rear right leg balancing; then right arm/foot with the left leg balancing. On crossovers for going forwards, you just lean/angle your left arm, and the right foot crosses over; if traveling backwards, counter-clockwise, the right arm guides/right leg takes the weight, and the left arm is the counter balance.
For spins, typically you enter a spin on your left foot forward, and use the stronger right leg to help you rotate counter-clockwise, whether performing a regular spin (straight up and down), sit spin, camel spin (arabesque position) or layback (angled back). Dorothy Hamill’s signature spin was starting in camel position, then swirling down into a sit spin.
If you stay in that counter-clockwise spin rotation, you will usually either bring both feet down and then glide out on an outer back edge; or have a little step or hop that lets you come out of the spin on that same edge, which then places you in position to fluidly rotate forward to continue to the next element.
Performing a spin on the right foot is usually considered to be a “reverse” of the spin (but you still spin counter-clockwise). If you start a spin on the right foot outright (versus just switching during the spin, where you can get some extra rotational strength based on how you angle the switched leg up or out), you usually begin the spin either through a backwards entry, or if forwards, “flying” to the other foot.
So, for example, in a flying camel, you angle into the spin on your front left foot, “fly” in the air (basically a big horizontal waltz jump) to land “backwards” in reverse, on your right foot with the left now raised in the arabesque position, still spinning counter-clockwise, but “backwards”. You will also see this sometimes with a flying sit spin; they will be in a regular spin, and do a little push upwards into a jump to land on the opposite foot and rotate down.
The top figure skaters get more points for multi-positional spins. It is preferable, in fact, to end a spin in that right-foot position if you are moving to a new element, because you simply extend out of the rotation into that back outside edge, to then move into forward position again.
One of the best “spinners” was Lucinda Ruh. She just had an amazing body flexibility and FAST spinning rotation that allowed her to do a lot of the more esoteric positions that you see more of the skaters do today.
The ballet dancer was surprised skaters don’t spot. You can do, but it doesn’t help you much at all once you are spinning past a beginner level. Unlike in ballet, where spotting also helps time a further foot movement or leg rotation, spotting during a figure skating spin is more likely to leave you unbalanced, because you have to whip your head around to catch up so many times. A skater doing a typical spin will easily have 5-20 revolutions. Not quite sure how to explain this, but during a skating spin, you are “seeing but not focusing.” If you focus on anything, it is the end of your nose, a leading hand; not distance.
You also don’t have to end a spin in a precise rotational location in the way that you would during a ballet performance, where facing another dancer/audience with precision on the endpoint is more relevant. Pairs skating, of course, is another story; but even there, you are more matching up spin speeds and angles in time with the music in order to look properly synched up.
So much of great figure skating really is just letting the pure muscle memory take over. Most skaters at top levels probably literally could perform their routines with their eyes closed. That is why when you get “off” on the rhythm, it can take a great performance down to disaster. (See Ilya Malinin individual long program-he just lost the flow on that first axel attempt, and couldn’t shake himself back in to the rest of the program, so he stayed in “glitch.” I would argue that his music hindered his ability to synch back into his program; it didn’t have the same clear “restart” points that, for example, Alysa Liu’s MacArthur Park had).
Sorry for the length. Fun to have something beyond the idiocies of legislators to contribute. ;0)
former legislator:
Dancers have to deal with friction, of course, so turns are fewer and slower, although not slow ordinarily. Spotting occurs because the somewhat slower speed makes it possible. I’ve heard skaters (who don’t spot, of course) say that their brains just get used to the spinning over time, but that if they take a long break their brains have to adjust again when they return to skating. I assume those who can’t adjust get winnowed out rather early.
Ninety percent or more of ballet dancers are what’s known as “right-turners.” Their turns are to the right of the plumb line of the body. I guess that would be considered clockwise. Ballet dancers tend to think it’s the most natural way to turn for most people. I explain a little bit in this post.
Here’s a good article on the subject of skaters’ and other athletes’ turns versus the turns of ballet dancers, but the conclusion is “we don’t know why there’s a difference in direction.” However, I can tell you one thing from my experience: the preference for right-turning in ballet is not just convention or practice. In class, ballet dancers are forced to turn in both directions for every exercise. And yet, even from the start of learning turns, most prefer turning to the right and you can see the difference.
Changer alert: climate activist turning into climate denier. Interesting part was when she said her identity was tied to her activism, and that she just knew that she was a “good person” for her work. And that only “good people” were concerned about the climate. Have a watch:
Up-talking nihilism is a tad bewildering, physicsguy
Mike P, I read the article you linked about Russia. Yes it is depressing but not quite as scary as you imply. For one, at the end the author – Gary Morson who is quite knowledgable – points out that the source of all this information is suspect. For another, if one of the ways Russians are going to express their “Russian-ness” is to drink even more, that would make them less of a threat, not more of one.
I do wonder though about the future of Russia. People are obsessed one way or another with Putin but he’s not going to be around much longer. What then? It is not clear to me what his “legacy” will be, it seems to me his focus has been on maintaining his own power rather than worrying about what he will leave behind.
From the top, thank you Mike Plaiss for the LINK.
Another Orthodox priest “concludes that if Russians do not win [war in Ukraine], they are prepared for a nuclear holocaust. ‘We’re ready to martyr ourselves, sacrifice ourselves, and the whole world if it’s unjust and evil. There’s no need for a world like that.”
I gather that’s part of the “get’s worse” you warned us about.
Reviewer Gary Saul Morton teaches what’s the single most popular class at Northwestern University, a survey in Russian lit in English, IIRC.
The Russian soul cannot stand ignominy. Nationalism, as an industrialial collectivist endeavor, has supplanted communism. Fascism, replaced Soviet communism.
As F. A. Von Hayek wrote nearly a century ago, “Fascism is what remains after communism has proved an illusion.” And that’s where we are in Russia today. And more effectively and prosperously in China.
That’s what the 45 years of Cold War got us, the cynic might say, and they would be wrong. Victory won the US virtually every place outside that one billion (with China’s population plausibly estimated in size). But, by subtracting the fact that China has implemented and profited from a capitalism without private property and honest state accountably, perhaps we’ve won something considerably more.
Our Next Move TRUMPISM, I’d guess.
PS Thus wouldn’t it work to the best to point out to the young, indoctrinated, who shout “Fascist!” without command, “You mean Putin’s Russia?”
Here is the latest from Mark Steyn, courtesy PowerLine “picks”:
Surprisingly, at least to me, he is none too keen on Nigel Farage, insinuating he is beholden to Muslim money. Instead he suggests another new party, Rupert Lowe’s Reform Britain. I know nothing about Lowe.
At a recent gathering, I found myself surrounded by well-educated people, every one of which was absolutely convinced that every single Russian wanted to overthrow Putin.
There was no point in saying anything, so I didn’t. Okay, I did say “You’re all fools!” as I left.
Funny about the difference in turning directions. Took ballet for years in middle and high school, then switched to skating as an adult as soon as I moved near a rink!
I can’t imagine turning clockwise now, although I must have done it in ballet.
Another difference in the two disciplines that results in an inherent conflict is foot and hip positions. Ballet wants turned out hips and a pointed foot – both of those work against a skater, something I learned the hard way – particularly during spinning. That foot needs to be utilizing every square inch of footbed – and in an extremely deliberate way. And turn out throws a skater out of the ‘Body Box’ needed for fast efficient movement. Both are wonderful athletic endeavors and terrific training for body awareness and control. But having done both, for sheer fun, I find myself echoing my skater daughter after I took her to her first ballet class; ‘Too slow Mom, too slow!’
You said the right thing Ray. I have no brief for Putin at all, he’s an authoritarian thug. My interpretation of him is that while not ideologically a communist he is totally a product of the Soviet system, after all he served in the KGB for over a decade.
But Russia has always had miserable government. The czars stunk and the communists were worse though they made Russia great again, turning it into one of the two superpowers for a while. If that was worth the gulags and genocide (Holodomor). My guess is that Russians may not be in love with Putin but don’t consider him too bad considering the historical competition.
… surrounded by well-educated people, every one of which was absolutely convinced that every single Russian wanted to overthrow Putin.
Yes, exactly. Pardon my hubris, but this is why I stopped discussing politics with almost anyone. It’s not that they’ve reached different conclusions, it’s that they’re so ignorant of reality that it’s impossible to find any common denominator. Which is of course why I love this blog.
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If you’re the kind of person that likes to scare themselves, read this.
Volga Blues
https://archive.fo/rpOLf
Review of a book recently released trying to capture the current Russian frame of mind.
It gets much worse from there.
Back from my trip. From when I got up Sat morning on the Cruise Ship, until I walked into my front door, about 31 hours. Still feeling it.
Was in Sams yesterday, and noticed that price for Ribeye’s are going down. What a bad economy we have.
Big snow day off for many on the north east coast
Here’s an interesting speculation on Tucker Carlson’s very odd sudden bursts of laughter. The author thinks it’s possibly a symptom of either addiction or a neurological disorder.
https://pjmedia.com/rabbi-michael-barclay/2026/02/22/tucker-carlson-may-be-clinically-mentally-ill-n4949817
I’m kinda impressed with the ballet dancer showing her learning curves, as well as nice physical curves.
She’s more than ok.
So is Trump’s economy, more than ok.
Combo of America first tariffs AND enforcement of immigration laws/ means much better, and affordable, economy for middle & low middle workers.
Those who were fraud beneficiaries are not so happy.
Only 1.4% GDP growth in 4th qtr—great because all the drop was govt & fraud. Fraud spending is added in to GDP, reducing fraud reduces GDP.
The dancer vs skater may be mostly muscle memory and body expecting forces en point or at the ball of the foot, versus that slippery slipper thing under her foot as well as the rotation speed when trying spinny things. She’s a trooper nonetheless.
I can’t dance so it is rankest of speculations.
1) 100% agree with Neo and others that Trump is an outside-the-box thinker. And just as good is the fact that he and his administration are adept at identifying “all the boxes” – a key part of understanding/ defining boundaries and options.
• In many instances that “all the boxes” identification by the Trump administration is focused on what is in the legislation – including what is not commonly used, not recently used, has been overlooked, etc.
• And in many instances the Trump administration then uses that legislation – uses that power – to benefit the USA, even though they know that much of what they do will be challenged by opponents.
2) 100% agree that it may have been possible to use the tariff authority identified in other legislation/ boxes; however, the ability of a President to use the IEEPA regulatory authority was a power worth using – knowing that it would be challenged – versus conceding the power without a fight.
• Not commonly used, or not recently used, or overlooked is not the same as wrong or harmful. And not using power can weaken the Executive branch’s ability to respond to the needs of the time – see recent illegal immigrants detention without bond decision.
3) 100% agree that I am not equipped through education or experience to determine if the recent IEEPA decision was rightfully decided from a legal standpoint – have read persuasive thought from others pro & con.
• However, as a citizen I know that in my lifetime there have been Supreme Court decisions that fail common sense/ fair play, or seem more political/ social than constitutional – see 1973 Abortion (Roe v. Wade), 1977 Union Fees (Abood v. Detroit Board of Education), 1984 Agency Interpretations (Chevron U.S.A. v. NRDC), 2003 Uni Admissions (Grutter v. Bollinger), 2005 Imminent Domain (Kelo v. City of New London), 2012 ACA/ Obamacare (National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius).
4) 100% impressed with how Trump and his administration have used tariffs to benefit the USA both tangibly (see income stream, manufacturing onshoring, trade agreements, reduced foreign tariffs, closed trade loopholes,, etc.) and intangibly (see ending wars, redefined coalitions, understanding USA territory is a secure choice, etc.).
• And impressed with how Trump and his administration unequivocally demonstrated that those who predicted disastrous economic outcomes had at best a “poor understanding” – see history and 2025/ 2026 results.
5) 100% believe that this has been the best executive branch – President, VP, Cabinet, WH staff, Agencies, etc. – in my lifetime, and is arguably one of the best administrations in our nation’s almost 250 year history.
• The sheer volume and magnitude of accomplishments in 13 months has been amazing – by any standard: first 100 days, first year, entire term, 1st & 2nd term.
• And more importantly Trump and his administration are not done with setting this country and future generations up for success – see Economic Security is National Security, and hopefully Sovereign Wealth.
BTW – I may not read this blog daily; however, when I do I make sure to read the comments – great part of most blogs – and can truly say that the Punch/om & Judy/Bauxite show always makes me smile.
I read about a study done on how figure skaters do it. They spin too fast to spot like ballet dancers do, but they don’t get vertigo.
• 100% disagree with Hinderaker’ observation – and also find it disingenuous.
• The financial markets are at all-time highs and many have learned-a-lesson – see Dow, S&P, ill-fated sell-offs & shorts, etc. – because they realized that Trump was right about tariffs – see beneficial.
• And the financial markets are still at all-time highs because they heard Trump – and his administration – immediately state that they have plans to continue tariffs – see Trump announced a new global tariff on the same day as the IEEPA SC decision was announced.
Well, the Dow is down about 700 at the moment. Tariffs may be only part of the reasons, however, and I usually look for some sort of hysteria and a recovery within a couple of days.
I can tell you right now that no one knows why the Dow or any other market average goes up or down. All they ever do is give you a just-so story in hindsight; they just choose some event they wish to credit or blame.
Anyone who really knows why the market does what it does is too busy driving their Lamborghinis to and from the bank to write up a story for the pundits.
Our gracious host can explain the rules for ballet, but the dancer seems to be spinning on the wrong foot usually used in figure skating spins, unless there is something funky going on with the camera angle or she is mirroring it.
Normally, when you step on to an ice rink to skate, everyone is traveling counter-clockwise relative to your front-facing position. In theory, each step is a leading left arm/left foot, with the rear right leg balancing; then right arm/foot with the left leg balancing. On crossovers for going forwards, you just lean/angle your left arm, and the right foot crosses over; if traveling backwards, counter-clockwise, the right arm guides/right leg takes the weight, and the left arm is the counter balance.
For spins, typically you enter a spin on your left foot forward, and use the stronger right leg to help you rotate counter-clockwise, whether performing a regular spin (straight up and down), sit spin, camel spin (arabesque position) or layback (angled back). Dorothy Hamill’s signature spin was starting in camel position, then swirling down into a sit spin.
If you stay in that counter-clockwise spin rotation, you will usually either bring both feet down and then glide out on an outer back edge; or have a little step or hop that lets you come out of the spin on that same edge, which then places you in position to fluidly rotate forward to continue to the next element.
Performing a spin on the right foot is usually considered to be a “reverse” of the spin (but you still spin counter-clockwise). If you start a spin on the right foot outright (versus just switching during the spin, where you can get some extra rotational strength based on how you angle the switched leg up or out), you usually begin the spin either through a backwards entry, or if forwards, “flying” to the other foot.
So, for example, in a flying camel, you angle into the spin on your front left foot, “fly” in the air (basically a big horizontal waltz jump) to land “backwards” in reverse, on your right foot with the left now raised in the arabesque position, still spinning counter-clockwise, but “backwards”. You will also see this sometimes with a flying sit spin; they will be in a regular spin, and do a little push upwards into a jump to land on the opposite foot and rotate down.
The top figure skaters get more points for multi-positional spins. It is preferable, in fact, to end a spin in that right-foot position if you are moving to a new element, because you simply extend out of the rotation into that back outside edge, to then move into forward position again.
One of the best “spinners” was Lucinda Ruh. She just had an amazing body flexibility and FAST spinning rotation that allowed her to do a lot of the more esoteric positions that you see more of the skaters do today.
The ballet dancer was surprised skaters don’t spot. You can do, but it doesn’t help you much at all once you are spinning past a beginner level. Unlike in ballet, where spotting also helps time a further foot movement or leg rotation, spotting during a figure skating spin is more likely to leave you unbalanced, because you have to whip your head around to catch up so many times. A skater doing a typical spin will easily have 5-20 revolutions. Not quite sure how to explain this, but during a skating spin, you are “seeing but not focusing.” If you focus on anything, it is the end of your nose, a leading hand; not distance.
You also don’t have to end a spin in a precise rotational location in the way that you would during a ballet performance, where facing another dancer/audience with precision on the endpoint is more relevant. Pairs skating, of course, is another story; but even there, you are more matching up spin speeds and angles in time with the music in order to look properly synched up.
So much of great figure skating really is just letting the pure muscle memory take over. Most skaters at top levels probably literally could perform their routines with their eyes closed. That is why when you get “off” on the rhythm, it can take a great performance down to disaster. (See Ilya Malinin individual long program-he just lost the flow on that first axel attempt, and couldn’t shake himself back in to the rest of the program, so he stayed in “glitch.” I would argue that his music hindered his ability to synch back into his program; it didn’t have the same clear “restart” points that, for example, Alysa Liu’s MacArthur Park had).
Sorry for the length. Fun to have something beyond the idiocies of legislators to contribute. ;0)
former legislator:
Dancers have to deal with friction, of course, so turns are fewer and slower, although not slow ordinarily. Spotting occurs because the somewhat slower speed makes it possible. I’ve heard skaters (who don’t spot, of course) say that their brains just get used to the spinning over time, but that if they take a long break their brains have to adjust again when they return to skating. I assume those who can’t adjust get winnowed out rather early.
Ninety percent or more of ballet dancers are what’s known as “right-turners.” Their turns are to the right of the plumb line of the body. I guess that would be considered clockwise. Ballet dancers tend to think it’s the most natural way to turn for most people. I explain a little bit in this post.
Here’s a good article on the subject of skaters’ and other athletes’ turns versus the turns of ballet dancers, but the conclusion is “we don’t know why there’s a difference in direction.” However, I can tell you one thing from my experience: the preference for right-turning in ballet is not just convention or practice. In class, ballet dancers are forced to turn in both directions for every exercise. And yet, even from the start of learning turns, most prefer turning to the right and you can see the difference.
Changer alert: climate activist turning into climate denier. Interesting part was when she said her identity was tied to her activism, and that she just knew that she was a “good person” for her work. And that only “good people” were concerned about the climate. Have a watch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OybheweZGxw&t=1389s
Up-talking nihilism is a tad bewildering, physicsguy
Mike P, I read the article you linked about Russia. Yes it is depressing but not quite as scary as you imply. For one, at the end the author – Gary Morson who is quite knowledgable – points out that the source of all this information is suspect. For another, if one of the ways Russians are going to express their “Russian-ness” is to drink even more, that would make them less of a threat, not more of one.
I do wonder though about the future of Russia. People are obsessed one way or another with Putin but he’s not going to be around much longer. What then? It is not clear to me what his “legacy” will be, it seems to me his focus has been on maintaining his own power rather than worrying about what he will leave behind.
From the top, thank you Mike Plaiss for the LINK.
Another Orthodox priest “concludes that if Russians do not win [war in Ukraine], they are prepared for a nuclear holocaust. ‘We’re ready to martyr ourselves, sacrifice ourselves, and the whole world if it’s unjust and evil. There’s no need for a world like that.”
I gather that’s part of the “get’s worse” you warned us about.
Reviewer Gary Saul Morton teaches what’s the single most popular class at Northwestern University, a survey in Russian lit in English, IIRC.
The Russian soul cannot stand ignominy. Nationalism, as an industrialial collectivist endeavor, has supplanted communism. Fascism, replaced Soviet communism.
As F. A. Von Hayek wrote nearly a century ago, “Fascism is what remains after communism has proved an illusion.” And that’s where we are in Russia today. And more effectively and prosperously in China.
That’s what the 45 years of Cold War got us, the cynic might say, and they would be wrong. Victory won the US virtually every place outside that one billion (with China’s population plausibly estimated in size). But, by subtracting the fact that China has implemented and profited from a capitalism without private property and honest state accountably, perhaps we’ve won something considerably more.
Our Next Move TRUMPISM, I’d guess.
PS Thus wouldn’t it work to the best to point out to the young, indoctrinated, who shout “Fascist!” without command, “You mean Putin’s Russia?”
Here is the latest from Mark Steyn, courtesy PowerLine “picks”:
https://jewishworldreview.com/0226/steyn022326.php
Surprisingly, at least to me, he is none too keen on Nigel Farage, insinuating he is beholden to Muslim money. Instead he suggests another new party, Rupert Lowe’s Reform Britain. I know nothing about Lowe.
At a recent gathering, I found myself surrounded by well-educated people, every one of which was absolutely convinced that every single Russian wanted to overthrow Putin.
There was no point in saying anything, so I didn’t. Okay, I did say “You’re all fools!” as I left.
Funny about the difference in turning directions. Took ballet for years in middle and high school, then switched to skating as an adult as soon as I moved near a rink!
I can’t imagine turning clockwise now, although I must have done it in ballet.
Another difference in the two disciplines that results in an inherent conflict is foot and hip positions. Ballet wants turned out hips and a pointed foot – both of those work against a skater, something I learned the hard way – particularly during spinning. That foot needs to be utilizing every square inch of footbed – and in an extremely deliberate way. And turn out throws a skater out of the ‘Body Box’ needed for fast efficient movement. Both are wonderful athletic endeavors and terrific training for body awareness and control. But having done both, for sheer fun, I find myself echoing my skater daughter after I took her to her first ballet class; ‘Too slow Mom, too slow!’
You said the right thing Ray. I have no brief for Putin at all, he’s an authoritarian thug. My interpretation of him is that while not ideologically a communist he is totally a product of the Soviet system, after all he served in the KGB for over a decade.
But Russia has always had miserable government. The czars stunk and the communists were worse though they made Russia great again, turning it into one of the two superpowers for a while. If that was worth the gulags and genocide (Holodomor). My guess is that Russians may not be in love with Putin but don’t consider him too bad considering the historical competition.
… surrounded by well-educated people, every one of which was absolutely convinced that every single Russian wanted to overthrow Putin.
Yes, exactly. Pardon my hubris, but this is why I stopped discussing politics with almost anyone. It’s not that they’ve reached different conclusions, it’s that they’re so ignorant of reality that it’s impossible to find any common denominator. Which is of course why I love this blog.