September 01, 2013

Reset, Shmeeset


Reset, Shmeeset

It would be an understatement to say US-Russian relations have hit a low point. Not a Cuban Missile Crisis or even a 1980 Olympic Boycott sort of low point. More like a US bombing of Belgrade or Russian sleeper spies discovered in America sort of low point.

I could list off the many current, contentious issues. Yet as anyone who has fulfilled the venerable task of caring for small children knows, you don't stop bickering by listing their crimes and offenses. Mediation, time-outs and reset buttons are also paltry solutions.

No, the best way to stop children (or nations) from bickering is to refocus their attention on a larger, shared threat or problem.

An alien or zombie invasion would do the trick, but, thankfully, both are rather unlikely. Yet there are many larger problems we could ask our children - sorry, leaders – to focus on, so as to distract them from pesky issues like spies, leakers, homosexuals and human rights.

Therefore, be it resolved that a Bilateral Anti-Bickering Commission be established to pursue the following:

1. Mission to Mars. NASA and the Russian Space Agency have an excellent collaborative relationship and that should be broadened. Let's put our scientific A-teams together and design a multi-year project to send a Russian-American team to our sister planet by 2020.

2. Clean Nukes. While we are at it, let's assemble another team of top scientists and engineers. This one will design, develop and deploy an open-source, fourth generation nuclear plant that creates no nuclear waste and is absolutely safe. And let's do it under the aegis of a global non-profit corporation that donates all its proceeds from sales and installation of the power plants to useful, planet-sustaining endeavors like purifying water and planting forests.

3. Pick One. Let's pick one difficult global issue that truly impacts millions of average people's lives (land mines, animal poaching, human trafficking, malaria, AIDS) and set up a team to devote political, economic, public relations, and of course financial resources to really making a difference in the course of one year. Better yet, let's pick one issue per year for five years and work together to mobilize international resources and mindspace.

4. Fresh Water, Abundant Seas. Over the next 50 years fresh water is likely to become a commodity over which wars will be fought, while our oceans are in danger of becoming fish-free. Our planet's water issues are solvable, but only if they get attention now, not later. We should put a team in charge of ensuring (through the UN, international organizations, coercion of intransigent politicians, etc.) that, by 2050, world sea harvests are managed sustainably and every human on Earth has reliable access to potable drinking water.

Yes, these are some huge challenges. But why should we shrink from them, just because they are big?

To quote the great philosopher Yoda: "Do or no do, there is no try."

Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.
Fish: A History of One Migration

Fish: A History of One Migration

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.
Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.
Murder and the Muse

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.
Fearful Majesty

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.
At the Circus (bilingual)

At the Circus (bilingual)

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.
The Samovar Murders

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.
Survival Russian

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.
Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar is a hilarious and insightful memoir by a diplomat who was “present at the creation” of US-Soviet relations. Charles Thayer headed off to Russia in 1933, calculating that if he could just learn Russian and be on the spot when the US and USSR established relations, he could make himself indispensable and start a career in the foreign service. Remarkably, he pulled it of.
Woe From Wit (bilingual)

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.
Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Bilingual series of short, lesser known, but highly significant works that show the traditional view of Dostoyevsky as a dour, intense, philosophical writer to be unnecessarily one-sided. 

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955