Book Review #3
In the translated book Planning in the USSR by I.A. Yevenko, the communist hyperbole and delusion begins immediately with the Author's Notes on page 5: The system of socialist planned…
What Is Democracy?
The victorious allies met in Potsdam, Germany in July 1945 to discuss the substance and procedures of the peace settlements in Europe after V-E day. Stalin was the sole remaining…
Citizenship
Citizenship [is a] relationship between an individual and a state to which the individual owes allegiance and in turn is entitled to its protection. Citizenship implies the status of freedom with accompanying responsibilities. Citizens…
The Treaty of Versailles and Germany
The Treaty of Versailles held Germany (a.k.a Germany Empire), and Germany alone, responsible for World War I: not Serbia who planned the assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand; not the Austrian-Hungarian Empire…
Random Learnings #51
Though evidence is inconclusive and reasoning disputed, Khrushchev may have proposed that the Kaliningrad enclave become part of the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic. The Lithuanian leader Sniečkus declined because over…
Random Learnings #50
Sovetsk, Russia is part of the Kalingrad enclave, physically separated from mainland Russia. It's even further separated from mainland Russia as planes can no longer fly over the Baltics but…
From Here I Can See Russia!
Sarah Palin is often misquoted as saying I can see Russia from my house! - thank you, Tina Fey - but I can say I saw Russia from my rental…
Random Learnings #46
"A Peasant Leaving His Landlord on Yuriev Day" by Sergei V. Ivanov I thought that Russian serfs were essentially slaves - a belief supported by many English-language references - but…
World War I Era Maps
My interest in maps - especially older maps - has grown over the past few years, and on a Monday in late February I spent a few hours in the…
Random Learnings #33
Crimea has been a major area of conflict and disagreement between Russia and Ukraine since the breakup of the Soviet Union. The 2014 Ukraine Crisis say Russia essentially invade Crimea…