RAGA Newsletter
Dear friends of the Russia & America Good Will Association
and antiwar colleagues!
Dr. Vladislav Krasnov It is long overdue to express New Year 2019 Good Wishes to everyone reading these pages, especially since news continue to be alarming.
In his annual February 20, 2019 address to the Federal Assembly, President Putin outlined goals to revive Russia's ailing economic and social situation. Only 15 minutes out of the 90 minutes address were devoted to international politics. The highlights are both grave and challenging:
—“If the U.S. really is going to deploy missiles on the European continent, it will exacerbate the international situation and create a genuine danger for Russia, as there will be missiles with a 10-12 minute flight time to Moscow." —“Russia will be forced to create and deploy weapons that can both be used on the territories from which the direct threat to us originates, as well as the territories where the centers of decision-making are located." —“We are ready for disarmament talks, but we are no longer going to knock on a closed door."
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2019/02/20/the-highlights-of-putins-federal-assembly-address
In view of the worsening global situation, I have been focusing, on the RAGA's behalf, on some public peace-seeking initiatives. Below is my letter, slightly abbreviated, to Leo Semashko's Global Harmony Association (GHA) in which I stress the need for a new paradigm of global politics.
Dear Leo and GHA colleagues,
many thanks to Leo and his internet experts for posting my recent article Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s Relevance Today in which I discussed International implications of a recent “Reading Solzhenitsyn” Conference in Lyndon, Vermont, September 7-8, 2018 http://peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=864
In conjunction with of Gandhi's 150th anniversary, I produced a sequel, an essay Mahatma Gandhi and Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, the Two Giants Who Blessed the 20th Century Will Vladimir Putin, OtherWorld Leaders Listen?
VLADISLAV KRASNOV • JANUARY 25, 2019 • 8,100 WORDS •
http://www.unz.com/article/mahatma-gandhi-and-aleksandr-solzhenitsyn-the-two-giants-who-blessed-the-20th-century/
The explicit purpose of the essay was to honor such wise and peace-promoting people as Gandhi, Solzhenitsyn, Leo Tolstoy, Martin Luther King Jr. (it was timed near the MLK Day in the USA), Nelson Mandela and several more.
We all know of Samuel Huntington book"The Clash of Civilizations?"where, after the collapse of Communism in the USSR and Eastern Europe, he predicted that "the fundamental source of conflict will not be primarily ideological or economic. The great divisions among humankind and the dominating source of conflict will be cultural".
There is no reason to rejoice at the prospect of cultural--rather than economic or ideological-- hostilities and possibly wars, especially now when such wars present a real risk of annihilating humankind. I believe that public initiatives, such as the GHA, Rene Wadlow's The Association of World Citizens (AWC)), Andre Sheldon's GlobalStrategyofNonviolence.org, Sander Hicks' newyorkmegaphone.com, and several others offer a different, more promising and more harmonious paradigm for international relations based on the need for all civilizations, now matter how different, to co-exist for the benefit of all. So, implicitly my essay on Gandhi and Solzhenitsyn aims at buttressing this new paradigm of international relations embodied in the above organizations and individuals.
Consistent with this purpose, RAGA joins Andre Sheldon's initiative in encouraging people to sight the petition below. Namaste! Here is the Link where you could sign the petition: SAVE GANDHI'S HERITAGE
In his annual February 20, 2019 address to the Federal Assembly, President Putin outlined goals to revive Russia's ailing economic and social situation. Only 15 minutes out of the 90 minutes address were devoted to international politics. The highlights are both grave and challenging:
—“If the U.S. really is going to deploy missiles on the European continent, it will exacerbate the international situation and create a genuine danger for Russia, as there will be missiles with a 10-12 minute flight time to Moscow." —“Russia will be forced to create and deploy weapons that can both be used on the territories from which the direct threat to us originates, as well as the territories where the centers of decision-making are located." —“We are ready for disarmament talks, but we are no longer going to knock on a closed door."
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2019/02/20/the-highlights-of-putins-federal-assembly-address
In view of the worsening global situation, I have been focusing, on the RAGA's behalf, on some public peace-seeking initiatives. Below is my letter, slightly abbreviated, to Leo Semashko's Global Harmony Association (GHA) in which I stress the need for a new paradigm of global politics.
Dear Leo and GHA colleagues,
many thanks to Leo and his internet experts for posting my recent article Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s Relevance Today in which I discussed International implications of a recent “Reading Solzhenitsyn” Conference in Lyndon, Vermont, September 7-8, 2018 http://peacefromharmony.org/?cat=en_c&key=864
In conjunction with of Gandhi's 150th anniversary, I produced a sequel, an essay Mahatma Gandhi and Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, the Two Giants Who Blessed the 20th Century Will Vladimir Putin, OtherWorld Leaders Listen?
VLADISLAV KRASNOV • JANUARY 25, 2019 • 8,100 WORDS •
http://www.unz.com/article/mahatma-gandhi-and-aleksandr-solzhenitsyn-the-two-giants-who-blessed-the-20th-century/
The explicit purpose of the essay was to honor such wise and peace-promoting people as Gandhi, Solzhenitsyn, Leo Tolstoy, Martin Luther King Jr. (it was timed near the MLK Day in the USA), Nelson Mandela and several more.
We all know of Samuel Huntington book"The Clash of Civilizations?"where, after the collapse of Communism in the USSR and Eastern Europe, he predicted that "the fundamental source of conflict will not be primarily ideological or economic. The great divisions among humankind and the dominating source of conflict will be cultural".
There is no reason to rejoice at the prospect of cultural--rather than economic or ideological-- hostilities and possibly wars, especially now when such wars present a real risk of annihilating humankind. I believe that public initiatives, such as the GHA, Rene Wadlow's The Association of World Citizens (AWC)), Andre Sheldon's GlobalStrategyofNonviolence.org, Sander Hicks' newyorkmegaphone.com, and several others offer a different, more promising and more harmonious paradigm for international relations based on the need for all civilizations, now matter how different, to co-exist for the benefit of all. So, implicitly my essay on Gandhi and Solzhenitsyn aims at buttressing this new paradigm of international relations embodied in the above organizations and individuals.
Consistent with this purpose, RAGA joins Andre Sheldon's initiative in encouraging people to sight the petition below. Namaste! Here is the Link where you could sign the petition: SAVE GANDHI'S HERITAGE
change.org/p/andre-sheldon-save-gandhi-s-heritage
Peace and Love
Andre Sheldon
Director, Global Strategy of Nonviolence, For the Children
Facilitator, CALL to WOMEN, a World-Wide Unity Campaign
Cell number: +1-617-413-9064, Home number: +1-617- 964-5267
Email: Andre@GlobalStrategyofNonviolence.org
Website: www.GlobalStrategyofNonviolence.org
Facebook: Global Movement of Nonviolence
RAGA agrees with Gandhi about indulgences that increasingly plague the WORLD:
1.Wealth without work 2.Pleasure without conscience 3.Knowledge without character 4. Business without ethics 5. Science without humanity 6. Religion without sacrifice 7. Politics without principles
I am happy to acknowledge that I borrowed the above Gandhi maxims from Jan Oberg, a tireless peace champion from Lund, Sweden, where I once started my post-Soviet carrier at Lunds Universitet. Please open their blog https://transnational.live/category/tff-global-posts-2019/
RUSSIAN FEDERATION SITREP 14 FEBRUARY 2019
ON FEBRUARY 14, 2019 BY PATRICK ARMSTRONG IN RF SITREP RUSSIA COLLUSION. US Senate says none. Clinton’s excuse for her shattered campaign has generated much damage: censorship, stronger war party, hysterical TV, attacks on anyone who bucks the war party, destruction of the last bits of “journalistic standards”, bogus charges, mangled innocents like Maria Butin....
CURRENCY WARS. The Central Bank of Russia update: total USD holdings down to 22% from 46%, Euros and Renmenbi holdings up; gold 2,112 tonnes. Total external debt $453.7 billion, lowest in nearly 10 years. Moody’s upgrades debt rating. Washington’s economic war is failing.
https://patrickarmstrong.ca/2019/02/14/russian-federation-sitrep-14-february-2019/
THE PUTIN I KNEW FEBRUARY 5, 2019 PAUL Robinson 34 COMMENTS In my last post I drew attention to a strange schizophrenia in the way many commentators view Russia. On one hand, there’s what I will call model one, in which they blame the country’s problems and its supposed aggression on the authoritarian nature of Russia’s political system. On the other hand, there’s model two, in which they consider these problems to be the product of some supposedly innate characteristic of the Russian people – the ‘Russian soul’, as it were.
........Instead we get a combination of model one and model two, both of which oversimplify. Mixing them together – by personalizing Russia’s problems while simultaneously blaming them on innate national characteristics – serves only to confuse and to reinforce simplistic prejudices... https://irrussianality.wordpress.com/2019/02/05/the-putin-i-knew/
On the Russian Orthodox Day of Baptism on January 19, 2019, VlADIMIR PUTIN issued a very cool, even cold, challenge to Western leaders by taking icy religious plunge. Yes, there are photos, reported The Washingrton Post.
The president appears healthy.
By Alex Horton. January 19, 2018
Russian leader Vladimir Putin dipped into frigid waters early Friday at a lake to mark the Orthodox observance of the Epiphany, which commemorates the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/01/19/shirtless-putin-takes-icy-religious-plunge-and-yes-there-are-photos/
Professor Nicolai Petro, a former colleague of mine at the Monterey Institute of International Studies, sums up the Ukrainian bitter predicament of the past four years. https://eng.globalaffairs.ru/number/The-Tragedy-of-Ukraine-19910
<<As the war in Ukraine enters its fifth year, the country remains mired in debt, corruption, and strife. The country seems to be caught up, again, in a vicious cycle that has been repeating itself for decades, if not centuries. Classical Greek tragedy gives us a deeper look at the reasons behind Ukraine’s persistent failure to achieve social stability, and suggests remedies. The tragic cycle can be broken through a compromise in which individual, social and divine aspirations for justice are reconciled. As long as Ukrainian leaders seek to achieve justice without compromise, the nation’s self-destructive cycle is likely to persist.>>
https://eng.globalaffairs.ru/number/The-Tragedy-of-Ukraine-19910
The Tragedy of Ukraine: Hard Lessons to Learn From Classics,” Russia in Global Affairs, vol. 16, № 4 (October/December 2018), pp. 52-71.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XewnyUJgyA4
Is war between China and the US inevitable? | Graham Allison
TED. Taking lessons from a historical pattern called "Thucydides's Trap," political scientist Graham Allison shows why a rising China and a dominant United States could be headed towards a violent collision no one wants -- and how we can summon the common sense and courage to avoid it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XewnyUJgyA4
In my previous report about Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's Centenary in the USA and in Moscow. I mentioned that Margo Caulfield, Director of Cavendish Historical Society, wrote a book, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn: The Writer Who Changed History/ Paperback – February 20, 2016. It is rated 5.0 out of 5 stars and has 2 customer reviews:
https://www.amazon.com/Aleksandr-Solzhenitsyn-Writer-Changed-History/dp/1530160855/
Remarkably, the book was written for students in grades 4th-7th, but will have considerable appeal for older audiences and can be used in any number of classes including history; psychology; literature; social studies; or biography. While there are many notable aspects of Solzhenitsyn’s life, we want readers to understand how his life unfolded and to help them use this information to better understand their own lives and the choices they make now and in the future.
As I am about to visit a couple of high-schools in my native town of Perm, the gateway to Siberia, I know their students will be glad to hear that their US counterparts appreciate the Russian writer "who changed history". Solzhenitsyn, by the way, made a point of visiting Perm for several days when he triumphantly returned to Russia in 1994 by taking a r/r train from Vladivostok to Moscow. He had a number of friends in Perm with whom he wanted to restore the connection broken by his forced exile to the West.
I urge you to also read:
https://www.thewriterwhochangedhistory.com/guide/
It is very educational. Besides, all proceeds from the sale of The Writer Who Changed History: Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn will be used for the Cavendish Historical Society’s Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn project.
Let me repeat again that, as the RAGA's founder, I thank Margo Caulfield for reflecting the best attitudes toward Russia that I have found among Americans of all walks of life. Her letter to the Russian people (that I cited in my previous report) reaffirmed my faith in America which once gave me a refuge and hospitality but now appears to be less civil at home and more war-like abroad than it was when my native Russia was in the grip of totalitarian Communism. I am re-affirmed that RAGA is needed in both countries. I also feel that Solzhenitsyn, more than anybody else, unites Russia and the USA in their common task--and sacred duty--to secure a peaceful, free, fair, and harmonious global commonwealth in which every nation is a proud member. Solzhenitsyn's truthfulness and courage in search of peace between our nations is the cornerstone of the new paradigm for global politics, if we want the Planet to survive.
As before, let me conclude with Professor William C. Brumfield's yet another picturesque report on the uniqueness of Russian civilization and its travails under Soviet rule:
Dormition Cathedral in Yaroslavl: Destroyed in 1937, rebuilt 70 years later: https://www.rbth.com/travel/329728-yaroslavl-dormition-cathedral
Early 20th-century photographs from the Prokudin-Gorsky Collection (Library of Congress) and photographs from William C. Brumfield Collection (National Gallery of Art, Dept. of Image Collections)
Sincerely,
W George Krasnow (http://wiki-org.ru/wiki/Краснов,_Владислав_Георгиевич)
President, RAGA
www.raga.org
Facebook
Peace and Justice to the World.
миру мир и благоволение в сердцах
From RAGA site:
"We are an association of Americans who believe it is in the U.S. national interests to foster friendship with Russia on the basis of mutual Good Will and non-interference in each other's affairs. RAGA is a gathering of people who share common interests in Russia's history, culture, religion, economy, politics and the way of life. We feel that Russian people have made outstanding contributions to humankind and are capable of greater achievements. We envision Russia as a strong, independent, proud and free nation and as a partner in achieving peace in the world."
All statements in this report are an opinion of the author. Act at your own risk. Russia & America Goodwill Association (RAGA) is not responsible for the content of the article. Any views or opinions presented in this report are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RAGA. Any liability in respect to this communication remain with the author.
RAGA News
www.RAGA.org
Andre Sheldon
Director, Global Strategy of Nonviolence, For the Children
Facilitator, CALL to WOMEN, a World-Wide Unity Campaign
Cell number: +1-617-413-9064, Home number: +1-617- 964-5267
Email: Andre@GlobalStrategyofNonviolence.org
Website: www.GlobalStrategyofNonviolence.org
Facebook: Global Movement of Nonviolence
RAGA agrees with Gandhi about indulgences that increasingly plague the WORLD:
1.Wealth without work 2.Pleasure without conscience 3.Knowledge without character 4. Business without ethics 5. Science without humanity 6. Religion without sacrifice 7. Politics without principles
I am happy to acknowledge that I borrowed the above Gandhi maxims from Jan Oberg, a tireless peace champion from Lund, Sweden, where I once started my post-Soviet carrier at Lunds Universitet. Please open their blog https://transnational.live/category/tff-global-posts-2019/
RUSSIAN FEDERATION SITREP 14 FEBRUARY 2019
ON FEBRUARY 14, 2019 BY PATRICK ARMSTRONG IN RF SITREP RUSSIA COLLUSION. US Senate says none. Clinton’s excuse for her shattered campaign has generated much damage: censorship, stronger war party, hysterical TV, attacks on anyone who bucks the war party, destruction of the last bits of “journalistic standards”, bogus charges, mangled innocents like Maria Butin....
CURRENCY WARS. The Central Bank of Russia update: total USD holdings down to 22% from 46%, Euros and Renmenbi holdings up; gold 2,112 tonnes. Total external debt $453.7 billion, lowest in nearly 10 years. Moody’s upgrades debt rating. Washington’s economic war is failing.
https://patrickarmstrong.ca/2019/02/14/russian-federation-sitrep-14-february-2019/
THE PUTIN I KNEW FEBRUARY 5, 2019 PAUL Robinson 34 COMMENTS In my last post I drew attention to a strange schizophrenia in the way many commentators view Russia. On one hand, there’s what I will call model one, in which they blame the country’s problems and its supposed aggression on the authoritarian nature of Russia’s political system. On the other hand, there’s model two, in which they consider these problems to be the product of some supposedly innate characteristic of the Russian people – the ‘Russian soul’, as it were.
........Instead we get a combination of model one and model two, both of which oversimplify. Mixing them together – by personalizing Russia’s problems while simultaneously blaming them on innate national characteristics – serves only to confuse and to reinforce simplistic prejudices... https://irrussianality.wordpress.com/2019/02/05/the-putin-i-knew/
On the Russian Orthodox Day of Baptism on January 19, 2019, VlADIMIR PUTIN issued a very cool, even cold, challenge to Western leaders by taking icy religious plunge. Yes, there are photos, reported The Washingrton Post.
The president appears healthy.
By Alex Horton. January 19, 2018
Russian leader Vladimir Putin dipped into frigid waters early Friday at a lake to mark the Orthodox observance of the Epiphany, which commemorates the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/01/19/shirtless-putin-takes-icy-religious-plunge-and-yes-there-are-photos/
Professor Nicolai Petro, a former colleague of mine at the Monterey Institute of International Studies, sums up the Ukrainian bitter predicament of the past four years. https://eng.globalaffairs.ru/number/The-Tragedy-of-Ukraine-19910
<<As the war in Ukraine enters its fifth year, the country remains mired in debt, corruption, and strife. The country seems to be caught up, again, in a vicious cycle that has been repeating itself for decades, if not centuries. Classical Greek tragedy gives us a deeper look at the reasons behind Ukraine’s persistent failure to achieve social stability, and suggests remedies. The tragic cycle can be broken through a compromise in which individual, social and divine aspirations for justice are reconciled. As long as Ukrainian leaders seek to achieve justice without compromise, the nation’s self-destructive cycle is likely to persist.>>
https://eng.globalaffairs.ru/number/The-Tragedy-of-Ukraine-19910
The Tragedy of Ukraine: Hard Lessons to Learn From Classics,” Russia in Global Affairs, vol. 16, № 4 (October/December 2018), pp. 52-71.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XewnyUJgyA4
Is war between China and the US inevitable? | Graham Allison
TED. Taking lessons from a historical pattern called "Thucydides's Trap," political scientist Graham Allison shows why a rising China and a dominant United States could be headed towards a violent collision no one wants -- and how we can summon the common sense and courage to avoid it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XewnyUJgyA4
In my previous report about Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's Centenary in the USA and in Moscow. I mentioned that Margo Caulfield, Director of Cavendish Historical Society, wrote a book, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn: The Writer Who Changed History/ Paperback – February 20, 2016. It is rated 5.0 out of 5 stars and has 2 customer reviews:
https://www.amazon.com/Aleksandr-Solzhenitsyn-Writer-Changed-History/dp/1530160855/
Remarkably, the book was written for students in grades 4th-7th, but will have considerable appeal for older audiences and can be used in any number of classes including history; psychology; literature; social studies; or biography. While there are many notable aspects of Solzhenitsyn’s life, we want readers to understand how his life unfolded and to help them use this information to better understand their own lives and the choices they make now and in the future.
As I am about to visit a couple of high-schools in my native town of Perm, the gateway to Siberia, I know their students will be glad to hear that their US counterparts appreciate the Russian writer "who changed history". Solzhenitsyn, by the way, made a point of visiting Perm for several days when he triumphantly returned to Russia in 1994 by taking a r/r train from Vladivostok to Moscow. He had a number of friends in Perm with whom he wanted to restore the connection broken by his forced exile to the West.
I urge you to also read:
https://www.thewriterwhochangedhistory.com/guide/
It is very educational. Besides, all proceeds from the sale of The Writer Who Changed History: Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn will be used for the Cavendish Historical Society’s Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn project.
Let me repeat again that, as the RAGA's founder, I thank Margo Caulfield for reflecting the best attitudes toward Russia that I have found among Americans of all walks of life. Her letter to the Russian people (that I cited in my previous report) reaffirmed my faith in America which once gave me a refuge and hospitality but now appears to be less civil at home and more war-like abroad than it was when my native Russia was in the grip of totalitarian Communism. I am re-affirmed that RAGA is needed in both countries. I also feel that Solzhenitsyn, more than anybody else, unites Russia and the USA in their common task--and sacred duty--to secure a peaceful, free, fair, and harmonious global commonwealth in which every nation is a proud member. Solzhenitsyn's truthfulness and courage in search of peace between our nations is the cornerstone of the new paradigm for global politics, if we want the Planet to survive.
As before, let me conclude with Professor William C. Brumfield's yet another picturesque report on the uniqueness of Russian civilization and its travails under Soviet rule:
Dormition Cathedral in Yaroslavl: Destroyed in 1937, rebuilt 70 years later: https://www.rbth.com/travel/329728-yaroslavl-dormition-cathedral
Early 20th-century photographs from the Prokudin-Gorsky Collection (Library of Congress) and photographs from William C. Brumfield Collection (National Gallery of Art, Dept. of Image Collections)
Sincerely,
W George Krasnow (http://wiki-org.ru/wiki/Краснов,_Владислав_Георгиевич)
President, RAGA
www.raga.org
Peace and Justice to the World.
миру мир и благоволение в сердцах
From RAGA site:
"We are an association of Americans who believe it is in the U.S. national interests to foster friendship with Russia on the basis of mutual Good Will and non-interference in each other's affairs. RAGA is a gathering of people who share common interests in Russia's history, culture, religion, economy, politics and the way of life. We feel that Russian people have made outstanding contributions to humankind and are capable of greater achievements. We envision Russia as a strong, independent, proud and free nation and as a partner in achieving peace in the world."
All statements in this report are an opinion of the author. Act at your own risk. Russia & America Goodwill Association (RAGA) is not responsible for the content of the article. Any views or opinions presented in this report are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RAGA. Any liability in respect to this communication remain with the author.
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www.RAGA.org
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