Book review: Browder, Magnitsky and the Whole Damn Thing

Human Rights & International Legal Discourse, Volume 7(2), 2013

Th e basis for the Act is the concern for violations of human rights and the rule of law as well as corruption in the Russian Federation. Th e Act refers directly to specifi c cases that seem to have been chosen for their emblematic value. Th is article criticises the selective concern for some human rights. It rejects the Russian claim that human rights are a domestic aff air. Th e article briefl y analyses the problems of information gathering associated with the implementation of the Act. In conclusion, this article argues that the linkage between the trade and human rights aspects of this Act is unhelpful.

It’s important to remind ourselves that beyond ideological conflicts between socialism and capitalism, people share aspirations for peace and concerns for the future. "The demonization of Russia is, I believe, one of the most dangerous things that is happening in our world today.” The anti-Russia perception — the assumption that Russia is “evil” — is most unfortunate. Peace depends on breaking the “clash of epistemologies. ” In the highly militarized, dangerous world we share, it is important to humanize rather than demonize one another. We need to find ways to nurture cooperation, and achieve goodwill and fraternity with Russia. Sadly, contemporary international relations have become a game of brinkmanship. We are witnessing a major geopolitical shift. It appears that neither Russia nor the United States seem to be afraid of nuclear weapons. We are at a crossroad of history where rule-based, multilateral cooperation is at stake.

The book discerns the rise and survival of Vladimir Putin as leader of Russia. The book will be relevant for those interested in Balkan and East European politics. To add, the book also reveals the secret relationship between the two super powers Russia and United States.

This paper seeks to analyze the post-Soviet struggles for transitioning and transforming into a state beyond what the USSR became. The specific foci are oligarchic capitalism and the oligarchy, with analysis on whether economic reform in relation to these powerful communities has the ability to consolidate democracy with the Russian state.

An Overview of the Nature of Putin's Regime

Southeastern Europe, 1977

2007

From 1967, the “Zionist” became one of the major enemy images of Soviet propaganda. This lasted until the mid-1980s and was a marked break from the situation before 1967. According to several scholars, the book Ostorozhno: sionizm! (Caution: Zionism!) by Yuri Ivanov, first published in 1969, was a key text in early Soviet anti-Zionism. In it, Zionism was defined as follows: "Modern Zionism is the ideology, a ramified system of organisations and the practical politics of the wealthy Jewish bourgeoisie which has closely allied itself with monopoly circles in the USA and other imperialist countries. The main content of Zionism is bellicose chauvinism and anti-communism." Almost identical definitions were given in a number of other “anti-Zionist” books and articles. Most historians studying Soviet anti-Zionism have described it as a disguised form of anti-Semitism. This thesis is an attempt to explain the ascent of Soviet anti-Zionism as well as to reexamine its relation to anti-Semitism.

Christophe Barbier, 2017

Abstract My research will focus on Russia’s relations versus the Western world from the past to the present day. Russia's vision and perception of the West since the end of the Cold War have changed the world substantially, and as a result, the idealism for the West and Russia to be strong allies have rather distanced themselves both diplomatically and politically on the international stage. For viewers to understand the implication of this research analysis, I will examine Russia’s brutal past, the Russian Revolution of 1917, the post-WWII Soviet era, the unending Cold War’s with renewing tensions today and the fall of Communism which precipitated the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989. These historical events are thematically linked as early as the Battle of Kulikovo in 1380 in which Russians defeated the Mongols by creating a surprising attack hidden from view. This ideological mechanism of Maskirovka in Russian (Маскировка), meaning ‘masking’ is a deceptive psychological apparatus used in Russian’s technical warfare during previous wars to deceive its enemies from within in a mastery art of wars. This psychological framework of deception is still present today in a series of recent international events about the attempt at reacquiring the former Soviet Socialist Republic of Georgia as a sovereign state within the former Soviet Union Republics now known today as Russia. The invasion of Crimea, followed by the annexation of Ukraine in 2014 and the military intervention in Syria in 2015 not only reinserted Russia as a superpower, but also demonstrated these geopolitical moves were carried out to counter-attack NATO aggressive policy of containment toward the Baltic States and along the Russian national borders. Russia also views the West with the propagation of pro-liberalism, the promotion of democracy, human rights, international law, and the global war on Islamic terrorism carrying some significant caveats. The West places Russia on a pedestal of being an antagonist player, nonconformist and rebellious in contradiction with the West’s foreign policy which dictates liberal values and liberties. All of these historical events corroborate with consistency and conformity with the current cold war tensions and frustrations between Russia and the West in a battle of disinformation, cyber warfare attacks and impartial truths. This Russian doctrine also magnifies why Russia does not correlate to the West in a same diplomatic and political manner as the West does. As a result, it creates more geopolitical differences and political divisions. In this Master’s research paper, I will analyze the underlying causes of diplomatic tensions such as the historical, ideological, geopolitical, and political nuances that Russia’s past battles, wars, attacks, and foreign invaders from the West hemisphere have led Russia to be both fearful and defensive toward the Western world. Russia’s tumultuous and dramatic past has cast an overshadowing net over unconstructive ties with the West and deteriorating relations that continue to exacerbate any diplomatic relations from leading to successful outcomes. That has prevented both hemispheres from reaching encouraging and promising mutual footings in world affairs. Is there a way to mollify the renewed tensions between the West and Russia? Yes, and I will demonstrate that both the West and Russia can mend their differences and reset their partnerships. However, the latter is also true that increasing strains during the investigation will bring forth to the readers tangible evidence that Russia and the West will continue for years to come to be suspicious and skeptical of one and another. East-West’s problematic political discourses compounded by distrustful and complicated bilateral relations within the crossfire NATO and the European Union could potentially destabilize peace and security and as a result, reshape the world itself between the East and the West.