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Frederick Andresen

© Photo Masha Simonian

Musings of a Russophile: Authority

16:57 22/04/2011 Weekly column by Frederick Andresen

No one said it better than Dostoevsky. In his masterpiece, The Brothers Karamazov, he clearly defines the underlying rationale for the mental despotism that has for centuries burdened the Russian people.

Transmissions from a Lone Star: Party of the damned
13:49 22/04/2011
Recently I acquired a collection of LIFE magazines from 1971, and was curious to see what was making the news back then. You can probably guess some of the topics (e.g. the Vietnam War) and you’ve probably forgotten others (the opening of an airport on the Seychelles).
Uncertain World: Arab spring - after the euphoria has faded
23:39 21/04/2011
The unrest in the Middle East and North Africa has not stopped, but the feeling of sensational novelty it created in winter is fading. In fact, the preliminary results of the “Arab spring” look different from those envisioned at the initial flowering of public euphoria.
Sam’s Exchange: Donald’s Diplomacy - OPEC and the Oil price
09:00 21/04/2011
The Republican frontrunner for the U.S. elections in 2012, according to recent polls, is Donald Trump. This week he aired his concerns about high oil prices and spelled out his course of action to lower gas prices in America.
Due West: Putin vs. Medvedev
18:40 20/04/2011
Moscow is abuzz with speculation. There is no lack of scenarios for the presidential campaign in 2012. My favorite one is actually a “Putin vs. Medvedev” race. And I will try to explain why.
Women Talk: Why Moscow is unique, why Moscow is inspiring
16:29 19/04/2011
“Would you like to have your gift wrapped?” a girl at the cosmetics counter smiled at me, her eyes beaming and cheeks glowing.
Deeper Than Oil: The day I met Drugg
14:15 18/04/2011
I wrote a couple of weeks ago about the Soviet dream of defeating death. This belief that the battle against mankind’s cruellest and oldest enemy is winnable resurfaced in modern Russia a few years ago in the shape of Grigory Grabovoi, a Kazakh-born, self-proclaimed messiah.
Musings of a Russophile: The Massage
16:01 15/04/2011
A few years ago, looking for an excuse to talk to a pretty young lady at the American Chamber of Commerce in Moscow, I commented that writing too many faxes gave me back pain.
Left at the Crossroads: Asad’s broken promises
19:41 14/04/2011
Under pressure from the street, Syrian President Bashar al-Asad has opted to project an image of uncompromising strength. Some mild concessions were made on the religious front, and the president promised some basic recognition of the disenfranchised Kurdish population’s rights to citizenship.
Uncertain World: BRICS goes from fantasy to reality
12:45 14/04/2011
With the addition of South Africa, the informal group of emerging economies known as BRIC has become BRICS. The expanded group is currently meeting for the first time at a summit in the Chinese city of Sanya.
Transmissions from a Lone Star: R.I.P. Yury Gagarin, long live the Russian space program!
16:58 13/04/2011
This week marked the 50th anniversary of the first manned space flight. Indeed, I am writing this on Tuesday April 12th, known as Cosmonaut’s Day in Russia in honor of the hour or so Yury Gagarin spent spinning around the earth in a tin can.2
Women Talk: Gossip Girls or Why Women Talk So Much
15:33 12/04/2011
There is an old Russian joke about two women who spent ten years in prison sharing the same cell and who were released the same day. They didn't rush to go home, however, and just hung out by the prison gates, chatting for another good couple of hours.1
Deeper Than Oil: Hushed hellos and no horror films
12:50 11/04/2011
I had just got out of the elevator on the ground floor of the Moscow apartment building where I have lived for a number of years when my upstairs neighbour, a portly forty-something businessman, came in from the street. As usual, we both managed to whisper a zdrastye in mutual greeting.
Transmissions from a Lone Star: Freedom of speech and cosmic stupidity
16:56 08/04/2011
One thing I truly love about America is the First Amendment- you know, the one about Congress making no law ‘…abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press’ and all that.
Musings of a Russophile: The Train to Helsinki
15:12 08/04/2011
The darkening countryside of northwestern Russia speeds past the windows, pierced only by the snow-laden forest and lonely telephone poles. Dreary, wet, gray, flat.
Uncertain World: History and uncertain future spark heated debate
15:44 07/04/2011
Questions of history prompt heated debate and stir powerful emotions in Russia, as in all post-Communist countries. Many attempts have been made to settle the problems of the past, but none was seen through to the end.1
Due West: East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet
17:05 06/04/2011
“East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet.” This phrase from Rudyard Kipling’s “Barrack-room Ballads” has been used on many occasions.
Sam's Exchange: The Switzerland of Arabia
16:57 06/04/2011
Unlike its neighbors, which export a large proportion of the world’s oil, Dubai barely has any oil and gas supplies of its own.
Women Talk: Made in the USSR - the lost generation
18:29 05/04/2011
Experts suggest that when societies go through a fundamental, crucial change, just like Russia did during the past 25 years, the gap between the generations widens dramatically. Add the pace with which the world is moving these days, and it's no surprise that a small age gap can turn into a gulf.1
Deeper Than Oil: The Resurrection of Lenin
14:47 04/04/2011
The Soviet-era slogan “Lenin Lived, Lenin Lives, Lenin Will Live” was no mere Communist rallying cry – some of those guys were serious. They really expected to see the short socialist walk again. And perhaps help colonize other planets.

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