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May 07, 2024
 

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THE VIEW FROM MOSCOW

COMMENTARY / THE VIEW FROM MOSCOW
Sep 14, 2003
An evening like any other at the Bolshoi
MOSCOW -- Already the environs of Bolshoi are very telling. Downtown Moscow recently got a cheap face lift, and all its one-time numerous kiosks that supplied the Russian capital with the mercurial atmosphere of a grand bazaar are gone or, rather, have been displaced into dark alleyways and underground crossings.
COMMENTARY / THE VIEW FROM MOSCOW
Aug 17, 2003
Black widows striking back
MOSCOW -- Animalistic labels stick to terror. Adolf Hitler's commandos were called werewolves; terrorist cells in Turkey in the 1970s, gray wolves; now the Russian media have christened Chechen female suicide bombers black widows.
COMMENTARY / THE VIEW FROM MOSCOW
Jul 20, 2003
'Potter': the order of parents
MOSCOW -- It is normal for a parent to distrust the things kids like. Having heard enthusiastic reports about some new product, be it a toy, computer game or movie, an average parent issues a suspicious grunt, thinking that it is probably overpriced, stupid and aggressive, and that the kid will never benefit from anything popular.
COMMENTARY / THE VIEW FROM MOSCOW
Jun 30, 2003
An irrational space odyssey?
MOSCOW -- Of all the arms races humankind has been involved in, the one in space has been the most bizarre. If a person is interested in a case study of unintended consequences, one could hardly find a better subject. Scientific curiosity, imperial dreams, down-to-earth geopolitics, interests of commerce and personal vanity -- to name just a few driving forces of the exploration of space in the 20th century -- have created an amazing topsy-turvy world that only gets crazier.
COMMENTARY / THE VIEW FROM MOSCOW
Jun 16, 2003
St. Petersburg may rule again
MOSCOW -- St. Petersburg, the former capital of Russia, has turned 300. Founded in a Baltic swamp at a frightening cost by the only outstanding Romanov reformer, Czar Peter the Great, it remains the architectural wonder of the nation. The "Venice of the North," as St. Petersburg was labeled in the 18th century by awe-struck foreign visitors, proudly commands the shores of the Neva and its channels. It is a magic jewel set in the darkness of the northern night.
COMMENTARY / THE VIEW FROM MOSCOW
May 20, 2003
Iraqi revival will cost Russia
MOSCOW -- It is a commonplace to say the war in Iraq was not only about former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein but also about oil. No matter how dangerous Hussein's regime was and how badly the White House needed an impressive victory for the 2004 elections, oil -- as today's key commodity -- was very much on U.S. President George W. Bush's mind when he commanded the attack on Iraq. Yet, for some countries, oil is practically the only part of the Iraqi equation they are interested in; Russia is a good example.
COMMENTARY / THE VIEW FROM MOSCOW
Apr 30, 2003
Pyongyang's actions shock few observers
MOSCOW -- When you are told that a person whom you don't know has won the lottery or lost a job, your feelings are pretty predictable and simple: Envy in the first case and empathy in the second. Yet if the person in question is somebody you know, your reactions get more complicated. You immediately start calculating whether the recent episode fits what you know about the person; if it does fit, you don't dwell on it much longer; if it doesn't, you become painfully perplexed.
COMMENTARY / THE VIEW FROM MOSCOW
Apr 16, 2003
Surviving victory in Iraq
MOSCOW -- It is, of course, unknown how future Western and Arab writers will treat the fall of Baghdad in April 2003, and whether U.S. troops or the people of Iraq -- or perhaps neither side -- will be proclaimed an eventual winner. In any case, there is every reason to believe that the battle for Baghdad will be considered historic.
COMMENTARY / THE VIEW FROM MOSCOW
Apr 6, 2003
Will Hussein go out quietly?
MOSCOW -- Last week a number of American officials were saying that the war in Iraq was not unfolding as quickly as had been hoped. The remarks sound like excessive modesty because the war has actually proceeded much more smoothly than its opponents predicted.
COMMENTARY / THE VIEW FROM MOSCOW
Mar 9, 2003
Sordid offspring of Uncle Joe
MOSCOW -- Wednesday was the anniversary of Joseph Stalin's death. The sordid man who for 30 years held the Soviet Union in an iron grip expired 50 years ago, but still casts a long shadow.
COMMENTARY / THE VIEW FROM MOSCOW
Feb 24, 2003
Hardest part will be rebuilding
MOSCOW -- A homeowner's golden rule is buy or build -- but never rebuild. The costs of adding a closet to your kitchen almost equals your mortgage; additional insulation ruins your budget; a new bedroom kills your credit.
COMMENTARY / THE VIEW FROM MOSCOW
Feb 8, 2003
Wanted: hosts for U.S. troops
MOSCOW -- Foreign-policy alignments have gone mad worldwide. A bizarre diplomatic coalition consisting of Russia, China, France and Germany now confronts the United States, Britain, Italy and Poland. Who could have imagined such a combination just 10 years ago besides readers of political thrillers? Now the only person who laughs at the most improbable conflict is Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, for it is he who has provoked the great divide in world politics.
COMMENTARY / THE VIEW FROM MOSCOW
Jan 6, 2003
Little progress, little protest
MOSCOW -- The Russian capital is gridlocked. This grim observation applies both physically and metaphorically: The city cannot manage its traffic, and the nation cannot handle its problems.
COMMENTARY / THE VIEW FROM MOSCOW
Dec 7, 2002
NATO's Balkanization begins
MOSCOW -- The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was established after World War II to protect Western Europe from a possible Soviet invasion. Once the Soviet empire crumbled, it was left without a purpose. In the euphoria of 1989-1991, it seemed that democracy and humanism had triumphed throughout Europe, and that peace on the Continent would rely on jet fighters and cruise missiles. But then Yugoslavia and other Eastern bloc nations descended into ethnic conflict. Russia chose nationalism as its new ideology. It soon became apparent that it was too early to disband NATO.
COMMENTARY / THE VIEW FROM MOSCOW
Nov 3, 2002
Terror in our own backyard
A key phrase in my recent e-mail exchanges has been, "The world has gone crazy." The hostage drama in Moscow; the shooting spree in the Washington, D.C. area; the bombing of two nightclubs in Bali; the Finnish teenager who blew up himself and six other people in a suburban shopping mall; the killing of a Japanese lawmaker; the assault on U.S. marines in the Middle East; the assassination of an American diplomat in Jordan -- all these terrifying events have happened in the space of only three weeks, and we are still trying to come to grips with them. Is this the World War III prophesied by many after the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon last fall? A world war without a front line and diplomacy, grand strategy and great battles, a war waged by individuals against societies and states when the attacking individuals are almost omnipotent and the attacked entities are bigger but all but helpless?
COMMENTARY / THE VIEW FROM MOSCOW
Oct 13, 2002
Putin: More than a crocodile
MOSCOW -- What could be worse on one's 50th birthday than to spend it in a gloomy fortress, sitting in the center of a heavily polluted city as president of a problem-ridden country struggling for survival? Yet Russian President Vladimir Putin looked perfectly happy on the day of his anniversary, and the only people who are upset by his Kremlin tenure are his liberal critics.
COMMENTARY / THE VIEW FROM MOSCOW
Sep 28, 2002
Plague of smoke and scandal
MOSCOW -- The last few months have been tough on the people of Moscow. The exceptionally hot, dry summer resulted in peat fires in the capital's suburbs.
COMMENTARY / THE VIEW FROM MOSCOW
Aug 18, 2002
Putin faces oil slick on Iraq
MOSCOW -- To strike or not to strike seems to be the question in Washington these days. A part of the "axis of evil," terrorist-lair Iraq, an old foe, is currently under the scrutiny of U.S. President George W. Bush's administration. While military planners weigh various strategic options for crushing Saddam Hussein's regime, diplomats are busy talking to other capitals -- and one must admit without much success.
COMMENTARY / THE VIEW FROM MOSCOW
Jul 28, 2002
Moronic student textbooks
MOSCOW -- When you visit a recently independent nation, ask what kind of elementary school textbooks their kids are reading. I must say the textbooks my kids use are horrific.
COMMENTARY / THE VIEW FROM MOSCOW
Jun 14, 2002
Moscow's bloody Sunday
MOSCOW -- The Bloody Sunday of June 9 took Moscow by surprise. Nobody expected a mob of soccer fans, upset by the performance of the national team, to launch a drunken rampage barely 100 meters away from President Vladimir Putin's Kremlin residence. The outburst of violence lasted for several hours, leaving people beaten up, cars destroyed, high-end shops vandalized and Muscovites bewildered and angry.
As visitors surge, Japan seeks ways to make tourism eco-friendly
Much like other hot spots across Okinawa, Onna has diligently strived to captivate both domestic and international tourists, while at the same time grappling with the environmental strain induced by the influx of visitors.
Japan says Biden's description of nation as xenophobic is 'unfortunate'
The National Diet building in Tokyo
Tokuryū, a new crime menace in Japan, emerges from the shadows
The National Police Agency coined the term "tokuryū" to classify individuals involved in dark part time jobs and quasi-gangsters, using the words "tokumei" (anonymous) and "ryūdo" (fluid) to reflect their characteristics.
Japan's labor crunch persists despite slight improvement
Over 300 companies went out of business in fiscal 2023 due to labor shortages, according to Teikoku Databank.
Is Modi’s party heading for a stunning election loss?
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's campaign tactics have escalated, including anti-Muslim rhetoric and fearmongering, reflecting his ruling party's desperation.
After blockbuster boxing victory, what next for ‘Monster’ Inoue?
Naoya Inoue celebrates his victory over Luis Nery in their IBF-WBA-WBC-WBO super bantamweight title boxing match at Tokyo Dome on Monday.
Japan’s tween skateboarders get head start on preparations for 2028 Olympics
Ibuki Matsumoto competes at an event in Osaka on April 21.
Pentagon reveals drone types for Replicator program to counter China
A U.S. Naval Special Warfare Operator fires a Switchblade 300 loitering munition during training exercises in Fallon, Nevada, last July. The U.S. Defense Department plans to use small drones — known in the Pentagon as “all-domain attritable autonomous systems” — to help counter Chinese military systems and tactics.
As visitors surge, Japan seeks ways to make tourism eco-friendly
Much like other hot spots across Okinawa, Onna has diligently strived to captivate both domestic and international tourists, while at the same time grappling with the environmental strain induced by the influx of visitors.
Kishida talks up bolstered Latin American ties as China cements position
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida holds a news conference in Sao Paulo on Saturday.

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