Tag Archives: Russia

China + Russia = Anxiety?

Posted on June 26, 2015 by jackgoldstone

I have spent the last few weeks in the UK, Russia, and Hong Kong.   The UK was very standard British — gloomy grey skies and damp  air, wretched coffee (for the most part, better to stick with tea), and a … Continue reading →

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Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Posted on August 7, 2014 by jackgoldstone

To get away from the depressing news of the day, from Ukraine to Gaza, I went to see a fantasy movie with my family:  Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. Except it did not turn out to be a … Continue reading →

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Back in the USSR

Posted on May 12, 2014 by jackgoldstone

I am back in Moscow, in the USSR (er, Russia). But more than at any time recently, it feels like the USSR. Not economically; stunning new apartment towers are gleaming in the late May sunlight, women are smartly dressed in … Continue reading →

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Bad to worse in Ukraine?

Posted on April 11, 2014 by jackgoldstone

I am in Russia this week, and the view from Moscow is a bit more disquieting than from home. It’s not that things are any different here. Life goes on in the University, traffic still clogs the street, and people … Continue reading →

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Ukraine: Next steps and threats

Posted on April 8, 2014 by jackgoldstone

Is Putin on the move again, planning to take additional slices off of Ukraine? The news seems to think so. The take-over of government buildings in three cities in Eastern Ukraine has commentators all a-flutter about Putin’s plans and continuing … Continue reading →

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What are Russia’s Plans for Ukraine?

Posted on March 31, 2014 by jackgoldstone

American Secretary of State John Kerry turned his plane around to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Paris on Sunday. Both had clear and inflexible demands. The U.S. wished Russia to withdraw a portion of the troops it has … Continue reading →

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Ukraine is getting ever more dangerous

Posted on March 11, 2014 by jackgoldstone

On CNN last Sunday, Stephen Cohen suggested that we are only two steps away from another Cuban missile crisis. Is that possible, or hyperbole? Revolutions create great risks because they create uncertainty and anxiety. The strength and policies of the … Continue reading →

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Protest in Russia

Posted on November 12, 2013 by jackgoldstone

I have just returned from a conference in Russia, in which the focus was studies of social movements. (My own contribution was to argue that recent protests in Brazil, Turkey, and Russia represented a shift to democratic-style protest rather than … Continue reading →

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Putin plays his hand well – but with what result?

Posted on September 12, 2013 by jackgoldstone

President Vladimir Putin has skillfully taken advantage of the opening given, almost by accident, by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, for Russia to frame the debate on what to do about the civil war raging in Syria. Russia’s strategic … Continue reading →

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Syria to lock down or explode

Posted on May 31, 2013 by jackgoldstone

Ian Bremmer did a wonderful take on the deteriorating situation in Syria for the Financial Times.  He points out this is now a full-fledged proxy war, with Hezbollah and Iran fully committed to backing their proxy, Bashar al-Assad, who is … Continue reading →

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