Footloose citizen reporter Zuola has said [zh] he's going to be there, religious extremists are going to be there, foreign media seem to be looking for local stringers, and cutting-edge web 2.0 companies are so convinced that something worth vlogging will happen during next month's Beijing Olympic Games that they're giving away free stuff, despite the apparent attempt to ban any filming of Olympic events.
Can we say that any citizen reporter in the area worth their salt should already be finalizing plans to be in Beijing on 888? If you're not, now's the time to reconsider. Late last month, global citizen journalism site GroundReport announced a 500 USD prize and top spot on their homepage for best citizen reporter video taken next month:
“Because the Beijing Olympics will be the first covered by Citizen Journalists. And while traditional media converges in Beijing, we want to know the story behind the story, from regular people like YOU.”
If you visit the site, don't forget to check out the rules. Top of the list of ideas for things GroundReport is looking for: Protests.

Okay, this post comes inspired by GVO Lingua. Bush is coming to the Olympics, but French President Nicolas Sarkozy has pegged his decision on the outcome of talks between Beijing and the Dalai Lama, currently underway. Pending that, many Chinese netizens are now telling Sarkozy not to bother showing up.
This week, Wen Wei Po Paris correspondent Zheng Ruolin critized French President Sarkozy for fumbling Sino-French relations through his stance on Tibet in his ‘A Chinese Journalist' column on Rue89.com. Seeing that, Sohu blogger ‘Cai Xiongshan' translated many of the comments (Zheng btw is also a Sohu blogger) left there into Chinese, and here are a few:
21H54 05/07/2008
Avec sa politique bling-bling-n'importe-quoi, Sarkozy va nous facher avec toute la planète.
以萨科奇的浪子策略,他会激怒全球。
21H59 05/07/2008
Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité vous y croyez vous ?
je suis français et cela fait bien longtemps que je n'y crois plus, c'est comme le père Noël.
自由,平等,博爱,你相信吗?我是法国人,我很久不相信了,这就像圣诞老人。
M Zheng,
je pense comme vous qu'à force de vouloir jouer sur la corde raide, Sarkozy va réussir à mécontenter tout le monde.
Là où je ne vous suis plus c'est votre conviction que l'opinion Chinoise puisse avoir une influence sur l'opinion Française.
Rappelez vous, lors de l'opposition de Paris à la guerre en Irak, les Américains furent très mécontents de l'attitude Française et on a vu se monter une campagne anti-Française au USA. Malgré cela, si Chirac a eu des mauvais sondages ce n'est certainement pas parce qu'il avait mécontenter les Américains.
En ce qui concerne les touristes Chinois, s'il ne voulaient vraiment ne plus venir en France, on comprend mal alors le pourquoi de ce boycotage officieux de la destination Française sous la pression des autorités Chinoises ? Il s'agit là d'une maneouvre d'intimidation indigne d'une nation qui doit acceuillir les Jeux Olympiques.
Je terminerai sur l'arrogance de vos propos : “Ils veulent du travail, l’augmentation du pouvoir d’achat, la maitrise de l’inflation… Et c’est la Chine qui peut leur apporter tout cela et personne d’autre.”
Il ne faudrait pas que la Chine se fourvoye dans cette illusion. Incapable de maitriser son environnement, elle se croit capable faire la pluie et le beau temps de nos economies, j'ose esperer que cela n'est que votre point de vue.
郑先生,我和你一样认为萨科奇在走钢丝,他将激怒所有人。我所不同意的是你确信中国舆论将影响法国舆论。提醒您,在伊兰克战争时,美国人对法国人态度很不满意,我们看到一场反法运动在美国。尽管如此,如果当时希拉克的民意调查支持率很低,但那明显不是因为他让美国人不高兴。
关于中国旅游者,如果他们真的不愿来法国,我不能理解为什么中国官方施压抵制法国作为旅游地呢?这是一个即将迎接奥运的国家的恐吓手段。
我以您高傲的言论结束:“他们要工作,提高购买力,控制通货膨胀,中国可以带给他们而不是别人。”中国不应该如此自我陶醉而迷路。目前中国对其环境恶化无能为力,却自信能控制其经济,我斗胆希望这不仅仅是您的观点。
I'll have you know that when the war against Iraq began, Americans were quite displeased with the French and we saw an anti-French movement in America. Despite this, opinion polls showed low support for Chirac at the time, but that obviously was not because he had made the Americans unhappy.
As for Chinese tourists, if they really don't wish to come to France, I don't understand why Chinese officials are pushing for a boycott against France as a tourism destination. And these are intimidation tactics coming from a country about to host the Olympics.
I'll end with your arrogant words: “they want jobs, to increase their purchasing power and control currency inflation. China can provide this, but not others.” China ought to not get so lost in such narcissism. At present, China is unable to do anything about degradation of its environment, yet it's confident it can control its economy. I dare hope this is not your view alone.
01H02 06/07/2008
Cher Daniel,
Je pense que dans notre ère mondialisée, les opinions d’un peuple influenceront tôt ou tard un autre, car les informations sur le net n’ont vraiment plus de frontières, et avec nos bonnes volontés et nos sincérités, nous arriverons à vous montrer et démontrer que la réalité du Tibet et de la Chine n’est pas ce qu’on voulait vous faire croire ! La France est quand même le pays de Voltaire, et de Rousseau, elle devait avoir un esprit suffisamment large pour écouter et comprendre les autres civilisations, et pas les rejeter sans connaître réellement la vérité ! J’ai vécu 15 ans ici, et vous voyez, certains (peut-être mes anciens compatriotes) m’accusent encore « ne connaît rien sur votre pays ». Alors je me demande combien de gens ici ont déjà posé le pied sur le sol de mon pays ? Donc expliquer, et discuter dans un esprit égal et ouvert, ça sert toujours quelques choses, et un jour quand un jeune Français connaît le système féodal-servage du Tibet sous la règne de dalaï-lama, on comprendra qui est contre la réforme démocratique en 1956… Et tous les événements depuis s’expliquent automatiquement !Concernant Ils veulent du travail, l’augmentation du pouvoir d’achat, la maitrise de l’inflation… Et c’est la Chine qui peut leur apporter tout cela et personne d’autre.” C’est vrai, vous avez raison, je suis maladroit, en pensant provoquer un débat il vaut mieux des piques qu’un verre d’eau tiède, je blesse à mon tour les Français, je m’excuse sincèrement ! Mais pour un simple citoyen, c’est une chose, pour un président de la République, il faut agir dans l’intérêt du peuple, non ? Pour les touristes chinois, le gouvernement ne peut qu’interdire les fonctionnaires d’état de venir en France, mais pas d’individus.
Merci pour votre mise en garde, je ferais attention.
亲爱的丹尼尔
我想在我们这个全球化的时代,异国民众舆论或早或迟影响其它国家,因为网上信息传播没有国界。怀着美好愿望及真诚,我们会向你们展现真实的西藏,中国也不仅仅是我们曾想让你相信的中国。法国是伏尔泰的国度,卢梭的国度,她应该有足够的气质去聆听和理解其它的文明,而不是在一无所知的情况下排斥。我在这里生活了15年,您看,有人指责我还是“对你们的国家一无所知”。我问自己你们多少人足迹到过我的祖国?所以,应该在一种平等和开放的精神下解释,讨论,这样或多或少有用,当有一天法国年轻人明白在达赖喇嘛统治下的西藏农奴制度时,人们就会明白是谁反对1956年的民主改革,所有的一切就会不证自明。关于我说的“他们要工作,提高购买力,控制通货膨胀,不是其它而是中国”对,您有道理,我很愚笨的认为激起这样一场辩论用锋芒毕露比一杯温水好,我伤害了法国人,我真诚道歉。但最为一个简单的国民,是一回事,最为一国之总统,应该以人民利益行事?不是吗?作为中国旅游者,政府紧紧只限制国家公务员来法国,并没有禁止个人。
As for what I said “they want jobs, to increase their purchasing power and control currency inflation. China can provide this, but not others.” Yes, you make a good point, I very foolishly felt that making a spectacle to set off this debate would be better than something mundane, and in the process I hurt the French people and for that I am truly sorry. But, being a simple citizen is one thing; being a nation's president who ought to act in the people's interest is another, no? As a Chinese tourist, the government at most can only restrict civil servants from coming to France, but it cannot prohibit individuals.
09H05 06/07/2008
Dans les pays dits “non démocratiques”, la plupart des
gens savent qu'il y de la propagande officielle
Par contre dans un pays dit ‘démocratique”comme la France, la plupart des gens croient qu'il n'y a pas de
propagande officielle ! mais c'est pire , c'est plus vicieux, car “la propagande”est distillée par les médias à la solde de gros groupes financiers !
Enfin , soyons fiers de nos médias français indépendants et donnons des leçons à la Chine !
在一个 非民主国家,大部分人知道有官方宣传。相反,在一个所谓的民主国家,如法国,大部分人认为没有官方宣传。这更糟糕,更缺陷,因为宣传被支持媒体的财团所控制。最后,为法国的媒体独立而自豪吧,给中国人上课!
Finally, let's be proud of France's independent media, and show the Chinese a lesson!
12H10 06/07/2008
C'est assez drôle, quand Mr Zheng Ruolin exprime son avis, on lui rappelle tout de suite que la Chine n'est pas la France, et quand France, on peut critiquer allégrement le Président sans rien risquer.
Mais il y a quelque chose que je ne comprends pas, bien que je lise et que je relise cet article et tous ceux traitant plus ou moins du même sujet : pourquoi les relations entre la France et la Chine passionnent-elles tout le monde à ce point? Ca frise l'hystérie. Peut-être parce qu'en France nous avons de belles valeurs, de beaux idéaux, une Révolution dont on oublie souvent le caractère sanguinaire ? Peut-être à cause des restes de l'ancienne politique néo-colonialiste, qui fait que les pays européens et la France en particulier aiment à rappeller à tout bout de champ à quel point nous sommes sages et démocrates ?
Et puis, pourquoi taper à ce point sur la France (qui l'a peut-être un peu cherché) quand il y a pas si longtemps à l'échelle de l'Univers les Anglais ont déclenché une guerre en Chine pour contrôler les routes de l'opium ?
很奇怪,郑先生发表他的观点,我们提醒他中国不是法国,在法国我们可以激励批评总统而没有任何危险。
但有些东西我不理解,虽然我重复读了这篇文章,或多或少是一个主题:“为什么中法关系如此让所有人热衷呢?”到了杰斯蒂里的地步。可能因为在法国,我们有好的价值,我们的思想,我们的大革命。可能由于殖民历史,让欧洲国家及法国尤其喜欢回忆起我们的明智和民主。
然而,为什么这一点紧紧抓住法国呢?英国不是对中国发动了鸦片战争为了控制鸦片输入吗?
22H57 05/07/2008
Monsieur Zheng,Je suis abusolutement d'accords avec vous!Sarkozy doit reflechir.Il ne faut pas toujour traiter les affaires chinoises dans une maniere francaise.Aujourd'dui,la Chine,est capable de dire “non” dans le monde,pourquoi pas?!
Cest vrais,La Chine a beacoup de problemes,mais la Chine s'ameliorer toujours. Il faut fair les francais connaitre mieux la Chine ,sinon,ils pensent que la Chine est toujour a l'epoque de Mao.
Je suis alle a l'universite a paris pour communiquer avec les etudiants .Il y a des etudiants qui ne savent pas ou es tibet sur le plan de la Chine,mais lls parlent Tibet comme specialistes.Ce n'est pas responsable!
Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité on veut bien ,mais il ne faut pas jouer double jeu au nom de Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité .
Le peuple chinois ne accepte jamai ca !
郑先生,我完全同意你的观点,萨克奇应该反省下。不能总是用法国人的方式来看待中国问题。今天,中国有能力说“不”,为什么不呢?
是的,中国有很多的问题,但中国一直在改进。应该让更多的法国人了解中国,否则,他们都以为中国还是处于毛泽东时代。
我曾经去法国大学和大学生交流,有的学生都不知道西藏在中国地图哪里,但谈起西藏问题就像专家一样,这是不负责任的。
自由,平等,博爱,我们中国人也想要。但不应该以自由,平等,博爱之名去耍政治手腕。中国人民决不接受!
And here's just one comment from the 140+ others left on Xiongshan's post:
自由、民主、博爱,多么令人陶醉的字眼!可是,这和一个国家和民族的发展和文化传统相关。如果不是8过联军的入侵,如果没有列强的瓜分,如果没有那么多的赔偿,那么自由、民主、博爱可能我们早已经走在了他们的前面。难道他们忘记了自己曾经是怎样的一个不知道羞耻的侵略者吗?拿走我们的黄金白银,然后给我们鸦片,是我们的民族饱受压迫和饥饿,屈辱、落后曾经和我们相伴那么久,难道是我们自己的过错吗?我们的人民生活刚刚走向繁荣富强的道路,也是我们努力勤奋的成绩。他们就说三道四,为什么呢?他们害怕什么呢?难道这就是他们的“自由、民主、博爱”的象征吗?这就是他们的“人权宣言”吗?我不明白这是怎样的一个逻辑?都不知道《诗经》是那朝那代,却对它的内容大加歪曲评判,不知道我们的西藏在中国的什么地方,却对其历史和地位枉加评说,不觉得可笑吗?这是标准的强权政治的产物!

Mohammed Omer is a young journalist from Rafah, a town in Gaza. Just a few weeks ago, at the age of 24, Omer was awarded the prestigious Martha Gellhorn Award for outstanding journalism for his reporting on Gaza. Upon his return, however, Omer was detained by Shin Beit, only to reappear half a day later in an ambulance. Israeli officials have admitted to detaining Omer, but have stated that he was held for “smuggling” and that his injuries were sustained when he “fell”. Photographs have emerged of Omer in his hospital bed, and bloggers have expressed their anger and concern.
DesertPeace was among the first to comment, and was outraged by the lack of media coverage:
A week ago my dear friend and Brother, Mohammed Omer, was nearly beaten to DEATH and tortured by Israeli Security officers.
This week, two Palestinian children were killed in cold blood by Israeli forces. Eight others were wounded.
Did you read about any of the above in any reports issued by the Associated Press?
NO!
The blogger also links to a podcast in which Omer is interviewed.
In the comments section, David Baldinger responds:
Omer’s bravery is awesome. I could not have endured this treatment. Even though the abuse was bad enough, what is also sad is that this occurred after his days of happiness abroad. This is one of those stories we should not let die. There is no excuse or explanation that can justify what was done to Omer. Maybe some good will come from the bad. This illustrates that the Israeli government lies and can’t be expected to control its forces.
Finally, Munich - and a little bit of everything commented on the podcast, saying:
Someone who listened to it said that this it is the most moving thing he has heard in a long time. It is Mohammed Omer speaking from his hospital bed to Nora Barrows-Friedman on Flashpoints on Pacifica Radio. She was in Palestine recently.
Man's inhumanity to man. You can only weep.
A petition to demand action can be found here.
The View from Fez is arguably the most popular English-language blog in Morocco, and one which is oft-quoted on Global Voices. Since its inception in 2005, the blog has had over 400,000 visitors from all over the world; they come to learn about Fez, be entertained, and live vicariously through the blog's authors, one of whom is Sandy McCutcheon.
McCutcheon is the author of 11 novels and has just completed “The Hill of Mice” - a novel set in the Fez Medina. He is the founder of The View from Fez and its primary author. McCutcheon is also a gracious host as I learned last year when he invited me to visit the riad for one of his many parties. I recently had the chance to interview him.

The central fountain of Riad Zany's courtyard
When did you first visit Morocco? What drew you to Fez?
I first came to Morocco seven years ago and fell in love with the country in general and Fez in particular.
Fez attracted me because of the vibrancy of the people and the extraordinary history that surrounds you on every corner. Yet my view was that here was an exceptional city in transition - the traditional lifestyle hand in hand with technological progress. The arrival of the internet in the Medina, the great mobile phone coverage and the uptake of new design and building techniques alongside the traditional all indicated a city that was very much on the move.
Tell us about the famous Riad Zany.
Discovering Riad Zany was a momentous occasion. A 3-4 hundred year old riad in (at the time) unfashionable part of the Medina, Riad Zany took over our lives. The restoration that Suzanna Clarke and I embarked on seemed an almost impossible task, but with the help of great traditional craftsmen and women as well as expert guidance from David Amster made it all possible. Our decision to go down the path of conservation restoration did mean that progress was painfully slow at times, but the end result well worth it. We opted for stripping the the house back to a simple form with little ornamentation, so that now the riad is a very livable, simple house of charm and quiet beauty. It has turned out to be a perfect venue for both traditional and contemporary music recitals which have attracted up to 70 people at a time. This year we also included two concerts from professional Australian musicians who jumped at the chance to pause from their European tour and perform in Fez. Last year my wife's book “A House in Fez” was published in Australia and New Zealand where it immediately sold out. In May the book was published in the Uk and will also come out in November in the USA. A Korean language edition is expected this year. As a result of the success of Suzanna's book, guest house owners in Fez have experienced an increased number of Australian and New Zealand visitors.
Author's Note: Riad Zany is named for Suzanna Clarke. Suzanna=Zany.
How do you keep abreast of everything going on in Fez?
Running The View from Fez is an almost full-time job. Thankfully I have a number of people in Fez who can both write well and take great photographs so that even when I am not in Fez, the blog bubbles along. We recently had our 400,000th visitor, but sadly didn't have time for a party to celebrate!
Tell us about some of the exciting changes happening on Fez
Fez is moving fast into a new era of design and sophistication with the opening of chic restaurants, tapas bars and hammams [traditional baths], while still preserving the traditional street food and local bath houses. In the area of design, new shops selling modern Moroccan designed products are a breath of fresh air and a clear indication of the talent waiting to explode over the next few years.
What concerns do you have about the future of Fez and Morocco in general?
I have no great concerns about the future for Fez or Morocco. The increased number of Moroccans who are buying properties in the Medina is a good sign and the relaxation of rules on guest houses is very welcome. However the recent increase level of tax on guest house owners is a very bad thing as is the increased landing charges at Fez airport which resulted in Ryanair stopping direct flights from Britain. Obviously this benefits Marrakech and Casablanca, but it has cost Fez millions.
Alternatively, what excites you?
What excites me about Morocco is the huge pool of young people who are grasping the opportunity to take the country forward. The efforts by the King in reforming the country are also to be applauded but more is to be done, especially in the area of free speech and press freedom.
You spend only a portion of your year in Morocco. What do you do the rest of the time? What do you do to relax?
I spend about half the year in Fez, mostly concentrating on my writing, but when not here I tend to divide my time between Bordeaux where we have an apartment and our house in Australia. When relaxing in Morocco I tend to stay in Fez although I do love the mountain villages and the area around the Rif. And in Fez, to relax… I sit in the courtyard of riad Zany and listen to the birds and the fountain!
What's your favorite Fassi restaurant? Handicraft?
My favourite restaurant in Fez is Thami's a little street cafe run by a man with a huge sense of humour and generosity. And my favourite handicraft is “the mat man” - an older guy who is the last traditional grass mat weaver making mats for the mosques but also selling place mats for table settings from a tiny dirt floored workshop in a narrow alley off the Talaa K'bira - a wonderful individual and a real craftsman.
Photo by Jillian C. York
Meanwhile, the Syrian News Agence, SANA, issued a statement from the authorities saying that it has “restored calm” over the prison after “riots” been caused by “terrorists” and “extremists”.
Syrian bloggers inside as well in the diaspora reflected on this tragic incident. We start with Ahmad (Ar) blogging from Syria who lists the names of the Syrian detainees who lost their lives when they defenselessly got shot at by the Syrian police:
1- Zakariya Affash.
2- Mohammad Majawish.
3- Abdelbaqi Khattab.
4- Ahmad Shalaq.
5- Khaled Bilal.
6- Moayad Al Ali.
7- Muhannad Al Omar.
8- Khodar Alloush.
9- Mahmud Abu Rashed.
Ahmad asserts to his readers that the detainees did not use weapons as they took control of the prison, but through negotiations with the Syrian police they surrendered. He also mentions news spreading about the possibility of the detainees’ parents being able to visit their sons, husbands and relatives in prison last night, but Ahmad says no such thing has confirmed so far.
Contrary to what human rights sites have been saying about the protest held for political reasons, Ahmad ends his post by explaining the real reasons behind this second protest in the Syrian prison:
“ الهدف منها تحسين الخدمات و الحد من الاكظاظ المفرط ، و تقليل جولات التعذيب الذي يعاني منه السجناء الإسلاميون بكثرة كما يُشاع في الفترة الأخيرة. بالمناسبة : المدوّن السوري طارق بياسي معتقل في هذا السجن ، سجن صيدنايا ، نسأل الله أن يحميه و يحفظه.“
“The reason was to call for an improvement of conditions in prison cells, to lessen the congestion, and decrease the torture rounds that “Islamists” detainees suffer from in prison…By the way, Syrian blogger Tariq Baiasi is held in this prison, Sednaya Prison. We ask God to protect him.”
Our next blogger Gottfried Stutz demands upon the Syrian regime to stop the “immediate killing” of the unarmed detainees and calls for the release of all the detainees and prisoners of conscience:
“Rather than send a president and a minister to get a sun tan with Nicolas Sarkozy on Place de la Concorde during the Bastille Day parade, the Syrian regime has a duty to inform its people about that prison, to stop the killing immediately, to hold fair trials, and to free all political and opinion detainees.”
Another Syrian blogger, in fact one of the new voices on the Syrian aggregator, Syria Planet, is Disaffection whose first comment on the massacre was: “there’s no smoke without fire”, he explains:
“This incident must have been provoked, got out of hand, while the security forces, instigating it, and out of sheer incompetence lost control where by reinforcements had to be called in to contain the situation at any cost. The usual cost.”
Finally we end up this round up with a quote from another anonymous new Syrian blogger, Jabz, who blames the regime for its constant “failures”:
“This is horrific stuff, shame on the government. This is not the first time the government has failed to do what it’s supposed to do this year, with fighting occurring between two sects in Hama early this year.”
It is notable to mention that this is the second time in two months that the detainees and prisoners at Sednaya prison protest against their dreadful imprisonment conditions.
Families of the prisoners and detainees have plead the Syrian President to stop this hideous treatment of unarmed citizens and asked to know the fate of their relatives.
This second massacre marked the 27th anniversary of Tadmur (Palmyra) Prison massacre. Click here for more information.
May their souls rest in peace.
King Abdullah II of Jordan has left two comments this past weekend on Jordanian websites, including the local daily newspaper, Ad-Dustour (Arabic), and blogger Naseem Tarawnah's The Black Iris. The King's comments were generally in response to a recent, candid interview with the local press in which he cleared up a series of controversies that had gripped the country for the past several weeks. In his comment, the King thanked the people for their feedback and encouraged everyone to continue to comment boldly and without fear.
“Thank you all for your feedback and comments. I am very happy and proud to see so many responsible citizens engaging in this dialogue. People must not be afraid to express their opinions without using aliases. We are a country of freedom, tolerance, diversity and openness, and everyone has the right to express their thoughts – no matter what they are – in an atmosphere of respect, so long as they are not personally offending others, attempting character assassination or undermining the nation's interest. Your comments only indicate how deeply you care about Jordan and its future and I am happy that we are partners in the development process.”
Viewed largely as indicative of the King's support for the media - specifically online -warious Jordanian bloggers have reacted to the King's comment on their own blogs:
“I am absolutely amazed, that a leader of a country, who probably has a million things to do, takes the time to read the views and opinions of ordinary citizens to communicate with them. He's more humble than your average Jordanian. If only more politicians would follow in his footsteps!” - Farah of “Observations of a Jordanian”
In a post entitled “The Jordanian Exception”, Farah Sharif states:
“Upon reading His Majesty's commentary on Black Iris and the daily which is dearest to my heart and mind, Addustour, I've never been more struck with the sheer power that the relationship between a leader and his people can hold.”
Even the Danish Ambassador to Amman, Thomas Lund-Sørensen, had something to say about the news on his personal blog:
Apart from the content of HM's comment I think this also mark an important day for the Jordanian blogosphere - more and more people are paying attention to what is going on in this media including at the highest level.
Via Veni Markovski, a link to a Bulgarian-language blog of Bojidar Antonov, who has recently finished a 30-day, 1,500-kilometer run across Bulgaria. (An intro in English is here.)
Srebrenica Genocide Blog writes about chemical weapons allegedly used against Srebrenica civilians and about the obscene graffiti left by the Dutch troops stationed at the UN base in Potocari.
Hans Stege of Kremlin, Inc is trying to figure out who's behind “a mysterious Austrian investment firm called Integrum Technologies [that is] involved in the controversial Vanco Black Sea offshore project.”
Leopolis writes about Poland's refusal to host the U.S. missile defense shield: “According to Republican adviser and historian Edward Lutwak, ‘the government of the Republic of Poland by rejecting the US offer forfeited a valuable partner that would protect it against Russia. It is an elementary mistake.' Such talk will certainly convince Moscow that the shield is directed towards them, an even more elementary mistake.”
Copydude recommends Lara Vapnyar's fiction: “In ‘Broccoli and Other Tales of Food and Love‘ you can taste the lives and longings of Russian emigres in America. If you’ve ever lived abroad, you can relate to the theme easily.”