Saturday, November 24, 2007
'Putin's Abiding Appeal'
Economic resurgence and law-and-order nationalism explain part of Putin's popularity in Russia. But a tragic history of 'moral amnesia' also partly explains Putin's popularity in Russia. ... Stalin so thoroughly pounded that country's psyche that many gulag survivors are still reluctant to discuss their experiences. Luckily, some are still alive and willing to talk -- and historians are scrambling to record their stories before their generation dies out. ... Think about it: What if World War II veterans and Holocaust survivors had been forbidden until their 80s to discuss their worst nightmares in life? What does that do to a mind? ...
Economic resurgence and law-and-order nationalism explain part of Putin's popularity in Russia. But a tragic history of 'moral amnesia' also partly explains Putin's popularity in Russia. ... Stalin so thoroughly pounded that country's psyche that many gulag survivors are still reluctant to discuss their experiences. Luckily, some are still alive and willing to talk -- and historians are scrambling to record their stories before their generation dies out. ... Think about it: What if World War II veterans and Holocaust survivors had been forbidden until their 80s to discuss their worst nightmares in life? What does that do to a mind? ...
