Comments on: Grenade Fishing on the Potomac

By: Michael Averko

Michael Averko — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 08:48:20 +0000

I just thought of another Will moment having to do when the wars of the last decade in former Yugoslavia broke out.

As he stated, his solution was to bring back the Hapsburg Empire (seemingly meant in a half serious, nut serious enough way).

Never mind how its policies in Bosnia escalated tensions.

I sense that GW has his own version of a “culture war.” There’re others out there who seem to take a similar route.

By: Michael Averko

Michael Averko — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 00:30:18 +0000

Over the years, it seems that whenever Will writes or comments (on TV) about Russia, it’s with all of the misinformed negatives imaginable.

By: AK

AK — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 23:20:17 +0000

Fedia, great point! Thanks. This is certainly something worth keeping in mind when arguing with Russophobes.

PS. Though not exactly generous to Russia, he’s not even right about the caviar. Caspian sturgeon stocks are close to depletion, with peak caviar having been reached around 1980.

By: Fedia Kriukov

Fedia Kriukov — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 22:57:56 +0000

Anatoly, you didn’t really understand the article. It was a veiled compliment. Every time Count Potemkin is mentioned, it is always a veiled compliment. Because what is Count Potemkin famous for, besides being one of the lovers of Catherine the Great? He oversaw the development of huge newly conquered areas of Russia from scratch and turned them into its most flourishing provinces. What the foreigners enviously referred to as “Potemkin villages” were in fact real, as is well known to any serious student of history (and was even described in Wiki last time I checked).

So what exactly is the real meaning of the adjective “Potemkin”? It is something that is so amazing you don’t want to believe it’s true, but nevertheless it is. So what do the phrases “Potemkin country” or “human Potemkin village” really tell us? They tell us that George F. Will stands completely in awe of Russia. Either that, or that he is an utter fool who tries to use historical allusions he doesn’t understand. But I’m feeling charitable, so I choose the more optimistic (for George F. Will) interpretation.

By: Eugene Ivanov

Eugene Ivanov — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 18:43:06 +0000

Great job as usual, Anatoly!

A short comments. Will doesn’t write often about Russia: as far as I know, the last time he touched the subject was on August 12, 2008. At least, let’s give him credit for his modesty and restraint.

Best,
Eugene

By: Ладушки.Net » Blog Archive » Posts about Russia as of 21/04/2009

Ладушки.Net » Blog Archive » Posts about Russia as of 21/04/2009 — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 18:17:47 +0000

[...] which almost started W. W. III, the Vietnam War (1965-73), and the Soviet War in Afghanistan Grenade Fishing on the Potomac – sublimeoblivion.com 04/21/2009 Though hard to imagine, the Washington Post – or Pravda on the [...]

By: Michael Averko

Michael Averko — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 13:58:54 +0000

Pardon my not also mentioning the I word in the above essay. It goes hand in hand with the B one.

To reiterate on an eariler point, it’s great to see substantively hard core media criticism that has been otherwise lacking.

By: Michael Averko

Michael Averko — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 08:21:41 +0000

On the matter of GW and the mentioned B word:

Back in the late 1970s/early 80’s, in one segment of the PBS aired Agronsky & Company, GW kept referring to the Soviets as Russians. At one point, he said they’ve an inferior culture. Agronsky stopped him and briefly noted Russian literary and scientific achievements. In a crazed way, Will repeated his inferior culture point.

Afterwards, I don’t recall any critical overview of that, other than what was privately expressed by some history students in my cabal.