Dear friends of the RAGA and antiwar colleagues!
I did not mean to bother you during Summer. But my desk is overwhelmed with news begging to be shared.
Now please absorb more of the above by opening the links of your choice.
1. Sen. Rand Paul seems to have defeated The Patriot Act:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/some-nsa-surveillance-powers-set-to-expire-sunday-unless-senate-acts/2015/05/31/42f215a2-066c-11e5-a428-c984eb077d4e_story.html?wpisrc=nl_headlines&wpmm=1
The NSA’s collection of phone records began in secret after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and was later authorized, also in secret, by a court under Section 215 of the USA Patriot Act — the provision that is set to expire. The continuation of the program and its justification were revealed in 2013 by Snowden.
This victory comes on top of the Federal Appeals court in New York May 7, 2015, decision that bulk collection of electronic records is illegal. This decision showed that Edward Snowden's defection was not in vain. As an act of civil disobedience it generated a debate to strengthen civil rights of all Americans.
2. "Thank You, Edward Snowden: An End to General Warrants as So-Called Patriot Act Expires"
Published: June 2, 2015 | Authors: Juan Cole | Truthdig | Op-Ed
http://www.nationofchange.org/2015/06/02/thank-you-edward-snowden-an-end-to-general-warrants-as-so-called-patriot-act-expires/
<<It should be underlined that these steps toward restoration of Americans’ privacy would not have occurred without the revelations of Edward Snowden about just how out of control the National Security Agency has been. Even senators like Ron Wyden of Oregon, who knew what the US government was doing in secret, could not openly blow the whistle because they would have instantly been arrested.>>
3. Snowden is not the only American patriot willing to stick his neck out for truth and justice. See this video of Russel Bonne Bentley, nick-named "Texas," in the worn-torn Gorlovka
Robin Westenra June 1 at 4:46pm A MESSAGE TO AMERICANS:
An American volunteer arrives at the scene of Horlivka (Gorlovka) shelling, appeals to Americans Seemorerocks: Atrocity in Horlivkarobinwestenra.blogspot.com
http://robinwestenra.blogspot.co.nz/2015/06/atrocity-in-horlivka.html
Tuesday, 2 June 2015
Atrocity in Horlivka
If you are American (and I know YOU care) please spread this message far and wide
4. James Carden's article below makes it clear why some American's, like Mr. Bentley, feel frustrated by inability to express their opinion in the USA
Date: May 20, 2015 at 2:27:23 PM EDT
Neo-McCarthyism and the US Media
The crusade to ban Russia policy critics
This article appeared in the June 8, 2015 edition of The Nation.
http://www.thenation.com/article/207689/neo-mccarthyism-and-us-media#
Carden describes the new anti-Russian zealots funded by Khodorkovsky: <<The report, titled “The Menace of Unreality: How the KremlinWeaponizes Information, Culture and Money,” is a joint project of the Interpreter and the Institute for Modern Russia (IMR), a Manhattan-based think tank funded by the exiled Russian oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky. Cowritten by the journalists Michael Weiss and Peter Pomerantsev, this highly polemical manifesto makes the case for why the United States, and the West generally, must combat what the authors allege to be the Kremlin’s extravagantly designed propaganda campaign. If implemented, the measures they propose would stifle democratic debate in the Western media.>>
5. Leonid Reshetnikov, former Russian Foreign Intelligence: Russia is a target because it’s a cradle of a new world paradigm
Translated by Kristina Rus
http://themillenniumreport.com/2015/04/russian-foreign-intelligence-chief-russia-is-a-target-because-its-a-cradle-of-a-new-world-paradigm
TMR Editor’s Note:
Leonid Petrovich Reshetnikov, the Director of the Russian Institute of Strategic Studies, provides valuable insight into the Russian perspective on the current state of world affairs. The following interview clearly delineates the primary reasons why Russia is being aggressively targeted by the West.
<<Because our country is not just a territory, it is a separate huge civilization that brought its own world paradigm to the entire world. First of all, of course, the Russian Empire as a model of the Eastern Orthodox civilization. The Bolsheviks destroyed it, but produced a newcivilizational idea. Now we are at the gates of the third. And we will see it in 5-6 years.>>
6. Admiral Stavridis. My friend and RAGA longtime associate Jeff Steinberg of the La Rouche movement sent me this link:
https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/06/02/what-russian-literature-tells-us-about-vladimir-putins-world/#
What Russian Literature Tells Us About Vladimir Putin’s World
The country's great authors put Russia in context better than any intel briefing can.
BY JAMES STAVRIDIS, JUNE 2, 2015
https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/06/02/what-russian-literature-tells-us-about-vladimir-putins-world/#
While reading Stavridis keep in mind that he is not just a retired four-star U.S. Navy admiral, but also currently the dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.
As a former professor of Russian studies and teacher of Russian literature, I congratulate the admiral for daring to traverse the turbulent sea of Russian literature and get a good catch!
<<Think the Russians will crack under sanctions? Try reading One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, the 1962 novel by dissident Alexander Solzhenitsyn. His protagonist, a convict in a Siberian gulag, finds a hundred ways to scrape through the day, dealing with the petty corruption, laughing at the predicaments, occasionally reveling in the harsh conditions of his imprisonment, and powerfully exhibiting the ability to overcome adversity.>>
7. The best news, from Stephen Cohen, come at the end: The American Committee for East-West Accord (ACEWA) is finally BORN, just on time to help Mr. Kerry heal his broken leg and return to the business of genuine diplomacy.
eastwestaccord.com
Mission Statement of The American Committee for East-West Accord
The American Committee for East-West Accord is a nonpartisan, tax-exempt educational organization of American citizens from different professions — business, academia, government service, science, law, and others — who are deeply concerned about the possibility of a new (potentially even more dangerous) cold war between the United States/Europe and Russia. Our fundamental premise is that no real or lasting American, European, or international security generally is possible without essential kinds of stable cooperation with Russia.
RAGA and myself are happy to see among ACEWA's founders several of our favorite authors, such as Gilbert Doctorow, Stephen Cohen, and Ambassador Jack Matlock. Good Luck to all!
Malice to None. Good Will to All.
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."
Sincerely,
W George Krasnow (=Vladislav Krasnov)
President, RAGA
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
I did not mean to bother you during Summer. But my desk is overwhelmed with news begging to be shared.
- Defeat of the Patriot Act as a victory for both Ed Snowden and presidential hopeful Sen. Rand Paul, the most peace-loving Republican who is likely to opt for better relations with Russia.
- Professor Juan Cole THANKS Ed Snowden for his defense of civil rights in the US.
- Russell Bonne Bentley, a bone fide American, denounces--from Donbas!--US government meddling in Ukraine.
- James Carden of The Nation denounces the return of "McCarthyism" to US Media.
- Russian Intelligence specialist Leonid Reshetnikov: Russia is a target of Western hostility because it’s a cradle of a new world paradigm.
- US Navy Admiral Stavridis: read Russian classics to see the silliness of sanctions.
- American Committee for East-West Accord is BORN.
Now please absorb more of the above by opening the links of your choice.
1. Sen. Rand Paul seems to have defeated The Patriot Act:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/some-nsa-surveillance-powers-set-to-expire-sunday-unless-senate-acts/2015/05/31/42f215a2-066c-11e5-a428-c984eb077d4e_story.html?wpisrc=nl_headlines&wpmm=1
The NSA’s collection of phone records began in secret after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and was later authorized, also in secret, by a court under Section 215 of the USA Patriot Act — the provision that is set to expire. The continuation of the program and its justification were revealed in 2013 by Snowden.
This victory comes on top of the Federal Appeals court in New York May 7, 2015, decision that bulk collection of electronic records is illegal. This decision showed that Edward Snowden's defection was not in vain. As an act of civil disobedience it generated a debate to strengthen civil rights of all Americans.
2. "Thank You, Edward Snowden: An End to General Warrants as So-Called Patriot Act Expires"
Published: June 2, 2015 | Authors: Juan Cole | Truthdig | Op-Ed
http://www.nationofchange.org/2015/06/02/thank-you-edward-snowden-an-end-to-general-warrants-as-so-called-patriot-act-expires/
<<It should be underlined that these steps toward restoration of Americans’ privacy would not have occurred without the revelations of Edward Snowden about just how out of control the National Security Agency has been. Even senators like Ron Wyden of Oregon, who knew what the US government was doing in secret, could not openly blow the whistle because they would have instantly been arrested.>>
3. Snowden is not the only American patriot willing to stick his neck out for truth and justice. See this video of Russel Bonne Bentley, nick-named "Texas," in the worn-torn Gorlovka
Robin Westenra June 1 at 4:46pm A MESSAGE TO AMERICANS:
An American volunteer arrives at the scene of Horlivka (Gorlovka) shelling, appeals to Americans Seemorerocks: Atrocity in Horlivkarobinwestenra.blogspot.com
http://robinwestenra.blogspot.co.nz/2015/06/atrocity-in-horlivka.html
Tuesday, 2 June 2015
Atrocity in Horlivka
If you are American (and I know YOU care) please spread this message far and wide
4. James Carden's article below makes it clear why some American's, like Mr. Bentley, feel frustrated by inability to express their opinion in the USA
Date: May 20, 2015 at 2:27:23 PM EDT
Neo-McCarthyism and the US Media
The crusade to ban Russia policy critics
This article appeared in the June 8, 2015 edition of The Nation.
http://www.thenation.com/article/207689/neo-mccarthyism-and-us-media#
Carden describes the new anti-Russian zealots funded by Khodorkovsky: <<The report, titled “The Menace of Unreality: How the KremlinWeaponizes Information, Culture and Money,” is a joint project of the Interpreter and the Institute for Modern Russia (IMR), a Manhattan-based think tank funded by the exiled Russian oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky. Cowritten by the journalists Michael Weiss and Peter Pomerantsev, this highly polemical manifesto makes the case for why the United States, and the West generally, must combat what the authors allege to be the Kremlin’s extravagantly designed propaganda campaign. If implemented, the measures they propose would stifle democratic debate in the Western media.>>
5. Leonid Reshetnikov, former Russian Foreign Intelligence: Russia is a target because it’s a cradle of a new world paradigm
Translated by Kristina Rus
http://themillenniumreport.com/2015/04/russian-foreign-intelligence-chief-russia-is-a-target-because-its-a-cradle-of-a-new-world-paradigm
TMR Editor’s Note:
Leonid Petrovich Reshetnikov, the Director of the Russian Institute of Strategic Studies, provides valuable insight into the Russian perspective on the current state of world affairs. The following interview clearly delineates the primary reasons why Russia is being aggressively targeted by the West.
<<Because our country is not just a territory, it is a separate huge civilization that brought its own world paradigm to the entire world. First of all, of course, the Russian Empire as a model of the Eastern Orthodox civilization. The Bolsheviks destroyed it, but produced a newcivilizational idea. Now we are at the gates of the third. And we will see it in 5-6 years.>>
6. Admiral Stavridis. My friend and RAGA longtime associate Jeff Steinberg of the La Rouche movement sent me this link:
https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/06/02/what-russian-literature-tells-us-about-vladimir-putins-world/#
What Russian Literature Tells Us About Vladimir Putin’s World
The country's great authors put Russia in context better than any intel briefing can.
BY JAMES STAVRIDIS, JUNE 2, 2015
https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/06/02/what-russian-literature-tells-us-about-vladimir-putins-world/#
While reading Stavridis keep in mind that he is not just a retired four-star U.S. Navy admiral, but also currently the dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.
As a former professor of Russian studies and teacher of Russian literature, I congratulate the admiral for daring to traverse the turbulent sea of Russian literature and get a good catch!
<<Think the Russians will crack under sanctions? Try reading One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, the 1962 novel by dissident Alexander Solzhenitsyn. His protagonist, a convict in a Siberian gulag, finds a hundred ways to scrape through the day, dealing with the petty corruption, laughing at the predicaments, occasionally reveling in the harsh conditions of his imprisonment, and powerfully exhibiting the ability to overcome adversity.>>
7. The best news, from Stephen Cohen, come at the end: The American Committee for East-West Accord (ACEWA) is finally BORN, just on time to help Mr. Kerry heal his broken leg and return to the business of genuine diplomacy.
eastwestaccord.com
Mission Statement of The American Committee for East-West Accord
The American Committee for East-West Accord is a nonpartisan, tax-exempt educational organization of American citizens from different professions — business, academia, government service, science, law, and others — who are deeply concerned about the possibility of a new (potentially even more dangerous) cold war between the United States/Europe and Russia. Our fundamental premise is that no real or lasting American, European, or international security generally is possible without essential kinds of stable cooperation with Russia.
RAGA and myself are happy to see among ACEWA's founders several of our favorite authors, such as Gilbert Doctorow, Stephen Cohen, and Ambassador Jack Matlock. Good Luck to all!
Malice to None. Good Will to All.
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."
Sincerely,
W George Krasnow (=Vladislav Krasnov)
President, RAGA
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
RSS Feed
