(no subject)
Alexander Solzhenitsyn died today, i guess. it's weird because i didn't know he was still alive, but he was this great inspirational presence for me during a course i took at KU on oppression and human rights literatures. he was speaking clearly about the world, just like someone like vaclav havel but without ever cracking a smile. it wasn't as gloomy as gore vidal or anything like that either. his writing style was just stark.
i was reading this great interview with him just now and he was talking about putin and about western criticism of russia's return to power and he was talking about how all the things putin should be criticized for (and the things russia as a whole should criticize itself for) are being ignored and many of the things putin was actually being rebuked for were lesser evils in the push toward a revitalization of the country. he was unforgiving but pragmatic. it was rare. he said this great thing about that type of situation, and i think it applies to numerous states around the world in the same way. he pointed out that "one is hard pressed to find examples in history when steps by one country to restore its strength were met favorably by other governments."
fuck chavez and mugabe and ahmadinejad and all the rest of the people running countries in various dirty ways they may see fit; fuck anyone who gets in their way out of selfish interests though, especially under the guise of humanitarian concern.
solzhenitsyn wasn't perfect but the balance between hypocrites and non shifted at least one head to the bad today.