Better Putin on the ritz than Ras Putin on the blitz.
Posted on 10/14/2002 5:33:26 PM PDT by Askel5
Cloning's a done deal.
The stock market shuddered like a practiced whore when Bush stood strong with a "NO cloning!"
(But Interested Parties couldn't help but notice he'd doubled the budget of the NIH and appointed a pro-cloning director. Sssshhhh ... it's a surprise. =)
Awfully refreshing to see someone who appreciates this fact.
While I too believe with Cornelis that Putin's and the State's embrace of the State Religion is a masterful stroke, there's no denying the faith endured a most diabolical century ... I saw it for myself. It's one of the reasons -- the most desperate, actually -- why I HAD to go when I had the chance.
Though it's true I also saw enough to know the real evil is only beginning in many respects ... as Christ "faces off" with Lenin at Red Square from his strategic spot over the Holy Gate of GUM shopping center ... from whence he'll dispense the "saving graces of Western materialism", no doubt.
You're right about its being Eastern in many respects. I know I'd never quite appreciated before what ancient ties it had with the Middle Eastern kingdoms in particular until viewing the extraordinary collection of gifts in the Kremlin or studying the faces on the Metro.
It's being a crossroads and empire caused it to become every bit the mosaic of humanity that our nation became. But it also is an ancient land of true faith ... true mystics and profoundly holy pilgrims whose devotion to our Lady lives. And passionate people. People who drink and sing and dance and whose souls thrill to soar ... whether behind a troika in poetry or 'round the earth itself on the shoulders of their hero Gagarin.
Beauty so exquisite ... in music, art, architecture and word ... that it takes your breath away. And makes your eyes fill with tears when you see the expanse of oppressive ugliness and dysfunction and inhuman intimidation that's turned faces impassive as a rule. I was glad that I slipped my companions and played "prairie dog" on the Metro so as to get a feel for some of the places that aren't a part of the usual rounds a tourist makes. And I also had to make my way as a stranger ... finding out for myself what sorts of peope they were as I fell upon their good graces to get around or hung out as a I pleased among the baby carriages and lovers and toughs ... having a brown bottle of beer myself as I wrote in my journal a while.
Its proximity to the East affords it understanding we'll probably never have but also a healthy contempt we'll wish we'd had ... instead of playing games beyond our ken and appeasing the yet communist Hegemon who's Confucianist on the outside but Legalist on the inside.
It was a joy and a privilege finally to visit the place and realize my love and admiration (and wonder ... ) had not been misplaced in the least all these years. I believe now more than ever that they, however truly foreign and decidedly different -- more than any other nation and despite their history of oppression from within and assault from without -- have the most in common with Americans as far as spirit, humor and the good sort of gullibility that swells a heart, opens a door or raises a toast for all the right reasons.
It's an affinity I trust will hold us in good stead when all hell breaks loose. We Americans are pretty soft and spoiled. It's not been so very long we -- as a people -- have abandoned our principles, lost respect for the morality de Toqueville knew was our only protection and opened ourselves up to bearing the brunt of -- instead of just dishing out -- many of the evils we've unleashed and only encouraged worldwide.
We have a lot to learn from the Russians. They are dreamers but they're also pretty cynical and keep two sets of books as a rule.
I Agree with you JJ.
Post # 9: That Picture Is Worth A Million Words...Priceless!
Sharon is Not an Idiot, He knows Snakes when he sees them, he sees Plenty of them every Day right in his own back yard and front yard too.
STINKY...DribbleLips Is The Worst Snake of 'em all, always wearing his head wrapper like a Cobra Hood!
He must be just a bit embarassed by the latest hit song:
| Poyushchie Vmeste - Takogo Kak Putin Moy paren' snova vlip v durnye dela, |
Singing Together - Someone Like Putin My boyfriend got into trouble again, |
(< sigh ... > making me weak in the knees like Tony Blair)
Putin sacks Bolshoi director (2000)
UN in talks to save Bolshoi (2000)
Bolshoi's Artistic director resigns(2001)
Chinese Leaders Watch Russian Bolshoi Ballet Swan Lake 2001)
Actually, it may actually say that. I'm getting a bit rusty these days.
(Ever hopeful you'll be immersed again one day soon.)
(Millions for the ballet in addition to our BILLIONS for nuclear waste?!?! Gosh, Uncle Sam's a prince.)
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