Even though PEN didn't avert WWII, it did wonders for preparing the U.S. public to support going to war in Europe instead of only fighting Japan. PEN prepared us to accept staggering challenges -- rationing of food, gasoline and tires. No nylon stockings! So please keep up your good work and don't despair. You are planting seeds and I predict that many more might sprout than those you can see for now. People who never read anything written by those of you in PEN will someday change their minds because of friends and family who do read things by members of PEN.
Also, may I suggest that you might wish to write about the Committee to Protect Journalists? I'm having one of its "Senior Advisors," David Marash, over for dinner tonight. It's the least I can do to thank him for risking his life so many times in war zones, as have so many other journalists, many of whom weren't so lucky. https://cpj.org/about/board-of-directors/#david-marash. Would you like me to beg him to let you interview him? He spent some time in Ukraine reporting during its bad old days.
May 14, 2022·edited May 14, 2022Liked by Richard Hine
The similarities between 1939 and today are striking, and likely too-little known. In Finland, 1939 is remembered as the somewhat miraculous repulsion of the Soviet Union. People there are understandably scared. In the stronger comparison, Crimea and eastern Ukraine regions compare with Sudetenland. By this measure, Ukraine compares with 1939 Poland, and we are given no reason to expect that Putin would stop at Ukraine, if the world steps aside there. Putin promised no invasion intention, prior to 24 February 2022, and then invaded. His emissaries variously assure us of no nuclear-weapon risk and of some nuclear-weapon risk. Just as with the Republican/Trump side here in the States, any words by the enemies of Democracy are best ignored. Thanks for presenting this PEN-related comparison to the world in 1939.
Even though PEN didn't avert WWII, it did wonders for preparing the U.S. public to support going to war in Europe instead of only fighting Japan. PEN prepared us to accept staggering challenges -- rationing of food, gasoline and tires. No nylon stockings! So please keep up your good work and don't despair. You are planting seeds and I predict that many more might sprout than those you can see for now. People who never read anything written by those of you in PEN will someday change their minds because of friends and family who do read things by members of PEN.
Also, may I suggest that you might wish to write about the Committee to Protect Journalists? I'm having one of its "Senior Advisors," David Marash, over for dinner tonight. It's the least I can do to thank him for risking his life so many times in war zones, as have so many other journalists, many of whom weren't so lucky. https://cpj.org/about/board-of-directors/#david-marash. Would you like me to beg him to let you interview him? He spent some time in Ukraine reporting during its bad old days.
The similarities between 1939 and today are striking, and likely too-little known. In Finland, 1939 is remembered as the somewhat miraculous repulsion of the Soviet Union. People there are understandably scared. In the stronger comparison, Crimea and eastern Ukraine regions compare with Sudetenland. By this measure, Ukraine compares with 1939 Poland, and we are given no reason to expect that Putin would stop at Ukraine, if the world steps aside there. Putin promised no invasion intention, prior to 24 February 2022, and then invaded. His emissaries variously assure us of no nuclear-weapon risk and of some nuclear-weapon risk. Just as with the Republican/Trump side here in the States, any words by the enemies of Democracy are best ignored. Thanks for presenting this PEN-related comparison to the world in 1939.
(($; -)}™
Gozo