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Monthly Archives: May 2015
Solving “a Riddle Wrapped in a Mystery Inside an Enigma”
UPDATE MAY 2017: FOR MORE, SURPRISING INFORMATION LIKE THIS, DOWNLOAD A FREE PDF OF MY NEW BOOK AND SEE THE SECTION ON RUSSIA. Most people have heard Winston Churchill’s description of Russia as “a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged churchill, critical thinking, enigma, iran, martin hellman, mystery, north korea, nuclear risk, riddle, russia, stanford, war and peace
8 Comments
Could the US Resolve the Ukrainian Crisis By Doing Less?
Back on February 8, 2014, twelve days before the Kiev massacre which led to President Yanukovych fleeing to Russia, Ronald Reagan’s Ambassador to Moscow Jack Matlock wrote very presciently, “Ukraine’s most serious problems are internal, not external. They must be solved by Ukrainians, not by outsiders. … I believe it has been a very big strategic mistake – by Russia, by the EU and most of all by the U.S. – to convert Ukrainian political and economic reform into an East-West struggle.” A recent poll confirms Ambassador Matlock’s perspective. Continue reading
Putin and the Siege of Leningrad
Two days ago, I had a post in honor of VE/Victory Day that had a few quotes from a Russian language article by Russian President Vladimir Putin. I noted that I did not yet have a complete translation, but would post it when I did. Well, it’s now available online. Here are some key excerpts: Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged martin hellman, nuclear risk, putin, russia, stanford, war and peace, world war ii
2 Comments
How to Truly Celebrate Defeating Nazism
Yesterday, May 8, marked our 70th celebration of VE Day – Victory in Europe over Nazism – while today, May 9, is celebrated as Victory Day in Russia. The difference of one day is due to time in Moscow being eight hours later than in Washington, but the difference in perception goes much deeper. If more Americans tried to understand the Russian perspective, it would be an excellent first step toward “defusing the nuclear threat” (as this blog is called). It may be surprising, but out of such seemingly small disagreements, nuclear threats can grow. Read on to find out why. Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged critical thinking, martin hellman, nuclear risk, putin, russia, stanford, war and peace, World War 2
1 Comment
Charlie Wilson’s War: An Attempt at Version 2.0
Today’s Wall Street Journal has an article noting that former Senator Gordon Humphrey, who played a key role in arming the mujahideen in Afghanistan in the 1980s, is now working on what can be described as an attempt at version 2.0 of Charlie Wilson’s War. Early on, the article gives the impression that was a great success, noting that, “The Soviet Union collapsed soon after.” Only much later (where far fewer people will see it) does it add, “outside experts often cite that covert action as a cautionary tale about the risks of intervention. In the chaos after the Soviet withdrawal, the Taliban rose and played host to Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda.” Continue reading
Defusing the Nuclear Threat 