Friends,

Steve Cohen hits the mark again!  Pure logic … and razor-sharp memory which few seem to have these days.  Please forward to your friends, colleagues and family.

Sharon Tennison
Center for Citizen Initiatives

The Nation
August 15, 2018

Sanction Mania vs. Russia

For nearly 100 years, Russia has been under US sanctions, often to the detriment of American national security.

By Stephen F. Cohen

(Audio available here.)

Stephen F. Cohen, professor emeritus of Russian studies and politics at NYU and Princeton, and John Batchelor continue their (usually) weekly discussions of the new US-Russian Cold War. Previous installments, now in their fifth year, are at TheNation.com.

Cohen begins by putting the current bipartisan Senate campaign to impose new, “crushing” sanctions on Russia in historical context. Broadly understood, sanctions have been part of US policy toward Russia for much of the past 100 years. During the Russian civil war of 1918–20, President Woodrow Wilson sent American troops to fight against the emerging Soviet government. Though the “reds” were clearly the established government of Soviet Russia by 1921, Washington continued to deny the USSR diplomatic recognition until President Franklin D. Roosevelt established formal relations in 1933. During much of the 40-year Cold War, the United States imposed various sanctions on its superpower rival, mainly related to technological and military exports, along with periodic expulsions of diplomats and “spies” on both sides.

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Dear CCI friends,

While Rachel Maddow’s nomination for an Emmy Award spreads through the news, Paul Saunders, Executive Director of the Center for National Interest, calls us to sanity.

This is the same Saunders who, a few months ago, openly called for “people diplomacy.” I had an opportunity to meet with him in Washington and found a highly-educated, lucid watcher of the whole political spectrum. He was obviously deeply worried about our nation’s state of affairs and, as a result, the fate of the whole world.

If you want some important middle-of-the-road sanity in today’s reporting, go to the National Interest site.  Meanwhile read the following article…

Sharon Tennison
Center for Citizen Initiatives

The National Interest
August 13, 2018

Why Bloomberg Got It Wrong

By Paul Saunders

George Orwell was never overly impressed with the news media, which he considered often more interested in advancing preferred narratives than reporting the facts. Working for the organization that hosted Donald Trump’s first and only foreign-policy speech during the 2016 presidential campaign—and having considerable experience with the media since then—I can’t say that I’m all that impressed either.

Orwell’s tart assessment of the reaction of the British press’ response to the Spanish Civil War sounds somewhat familiar in an era when a new media cohort often seem to abandon their professional standards, at least if “Trump,” “Russia,” or both are in the headline. As Orwell noted,

Early in life I have noticed that no event is ever correctly reported in a newspaper, but in Spain, for the first time, I saw newspaper reports which did not bear any relation to the facts, not even the relationship which is implied in an ordinary lie. I saw great battles reported where there had been no fighting, and complete silence where hundreds of men had been killed. I saw troops who had fought bravely denounced as cowards and traitors, and others who had never seen a shot fired hailed as heroes of imaginary victories; and I saw newspapers in London retailing these lies and eager intellectuals building emotional superstructures over events that never happened. I saw, in fact, history being written not in terms of what happened but of what ought to have happened according to various “party lines.”

Today’s dominant “party lines” are likewise often shaping reporting to a greater extent than the facts. Yes, President Donald Trump went too far in branding the New York Times , CNN, and NBC News as “the enemy of the American people.” But it is no exaggeration to say that many reporters have become witting or unwitting enemies of truth.

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Dear CCI Friends,

You will enjoy this sensible and courageous approach from Senator Rand Paul.  Growing up around former Congressman Ron Paul, Rand Paul has more experience and confidence than most others in Congress. I had heard through the grapevine that he intended to take a trip to Russia, but frankly believed it must be too good to be true. During my May trip to Washington, I had the opportunity to visit with four of Senator Paul’s policy people. They were clearly a head and shoulders above the average policy aides in other offices.

Of course, Paul will take a scouring from other senators and members for breaking ranks, but like his father, with whom I met several times in the 90’s and 2000’s, it won’t ruffle his feathers. He may lead this new young minority of Republicans, Democrats, Independents and Libertarians who are breaking tradition and voting together across the aisle. May their numbers increase!  I heard in D.C. that with this next election there stands to be 40 new members under 40 years of age––no doubt most of them are quite different from the generation now running Congress.

Join me in calling or writing Senator Paul’s office to express support for his initiative to bring Russian law makers to Washington.  Hope is in the air!

Sharon Tennison
Center for Citizen Initiatives

Strategic Culture
August 7, 2018

Senator Rand Paul Visits Russia to Encourage ‘Vital Engagement’ Between Lawmakers

ARKADY SAVITSKY

Donald Trump is not the only American politician to be striving for a better relationship with Moscow in defiance of multiple opponents who are raising a ruckus about his stance on Russia. The hysterical reaction to the US president’s summit with the Russian leader in Helsinki did not keep Republican Senator Rand Paul from doing what he believes is right — going to Moscow as the head of a US delegation, which also included Texas State Senator Don Huffines and the president of the Cato Institute, Peter Goettler, in order to spur contacts with Russian lawmakers.

During the talks in Moscow on Aug.6, he invited Russian senators to visit Washington.“Today, I met with Chairman Kosachev, and we agreed on the importance of continued dialogue. I invited the Russian Federation to send a delegation to the Capitol, and they have agreed to take this important next step,” Mr. Paul stated. It’ll be the first Russian parliamentary delegation to have traveled to Washington in nearly three years. The senator thinks “our biggest problem right now is no dialogue,” emphasizing that“engagement is vital to our national security and peace around the world.”

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Dear CCI friends,

Take 3.5 minutes out of your busy life today and watch this video.

The title and words come from a famous Voyager photo, and a subsequent book by Carl Sagan.

Watch and listen to this fleeting piece that makes most of what is done on this tiny planet earth seem irrelevant and even demonic––the wars, the hungry mothers and children impacted, the pursuit of hegemony, the love of power politics, the endless train of refugees pouring across our small planet …   It seems that only those things we do to foster life, cooperation, goodwill and the gift of love ….make any sense at all.

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