Category Archives: Current Affairs

Moby Dick Redux: The Great Oligarch Yacht Hunt; and searching for a Ukraine End-Game Without Nukes

Two weighty reads for midweek #1 – Fleeing sanctions, oligarchs seek safe ports for superyachts BY MICHAEL BIESECKER — March 8 2022 WASHINGTON (AP) — The massive superyacht Dilbar stretches one-and-a-half football fields in length, about as long as a World War I dreadnought. It boasts two helipads, berths for more than 130 people and a … Continue reading Moby Dick Redux: The Great Oligarch Yacht Hunt; and searching for a Ukraine End-Game Without Nukes →

War Notes: Thousands of Protesters Arrested in Russia; and More . . .

Reuters- More than 4,500 antiwar protesters arrested in one day in Russia, group says     . On March 6, antiwar protesters were beaten with batons as they were arrested by Russian police in Yekaterinburg, Russia. (Reuters) By Brittany Shammas and Reis Thebault  — March 6 2022 More than 4,500 protesters were arrested Sunday at antiwar demonstrations across Russia, … Continue reading War Notes: Thousands of Protesters Arrested in Russia; and More . . . →

Two Chilling Blasts From the (not so distant) Past

I’m reading a memoir/autobiography, Writing Straight With Crooked Lines, by Jim Forest. Jim died recently, after a long life spent in peace work, including much collaboration with Quakers. After the attack on a huge Ukrainian nuclear power plant, two passages in it leapt out at me this morning. The first was merely a blip — … Continue reading Two Chilling Blasts From the (not so distant) Past →

The Oligarch Blues: Billionaire’s Big Boat is Busted; Navalny Speaks

Germans Seize Russian Billionaire Alisher Usmanov’s Mega-Yacht Giacomo Tognini Forbes Staff Billionaires Staff Writer, Wealth Team. [Photo of Usmanov yacht on Ipad] Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov was sanctioned by the European Union on Monday. Two days later, Forbes has learned from three sources in the yacht industry that one of his prized possessions—the 512-foot … Continue reading The Oligarch Blues: Billionaire’s Big Boat is Busted; Navalny Speaks →

3 reports: one surprise

Opposition to Putin’s war is alive on Moscow’s streets. But no trace of it is covered on Russian TV Analysis by Nic Robertson, CNN — March 1, 2022 Moscow CNN — More than 6,400 Russians have been arrested in anti-war protests since President Vladimir Putin’s troops invaded Ukraine, but not one bone-crunching detention has made state … Continue reading 3 reports: one surprise →