RIO DE JANEIRO — In 1990, an American anthropologist wrote a controversial book: “Is Latin America Turning Protestant?” Two decades later, that same provocative question can be asked of Russia. Who will win: The Church of the Golden Domes? Or the Church of the Catacombs? Before I grapple with Russia, let’s look at what is […]
Why Should Obama Visit Russia for a Putin Summit?
Posted July 19th, 2013 at 3:57 am (UTC+0)
Why is Barack Obama planning to be in Moscow in early September for a two-day summit with Vladimir Putin? Mystery to me. Thursday’s conviction and sentencing Alexei Navalny make the Putin government increasingly look like a South American military dictatorship from the 1970s. And you can be sure that American presidents, especially Democratic ones, did […]
Snowden and Russia’s Whistleblowers
Posted July 14th, 2013 at 6:18 am (UTC+0)
“These nations, including Russia, Venezuela, Bolivia, Nicaragua and Ecuador, have my gratitude and respect for being the first to stand against human rights violations carried out by the powerful rather than the powerless. By refusing to compromise their principles in the face of intimidation, they have earned the respect of the world. It is my […]
For Russia’s Kremlin, Snowden Goes from Trophy to Liability
Posted July 4th, 2013 at 7:05 am (UTC+0)
The Latin Americans came and left in their presidential jets. But Edward Snowden stayed behind. For the Kremlin, a propaganda coup is quickly becoming hot potato. For over 10 days, the fugitive American intelligence agency leaker has been marooned in legal limbo, living invisibly somewhere in the “transit” area of a busy Moscow international airport. […]
