I'd like to call Kisin a friend, myself, with a Belorussian background I thought was Russian growing up, what with Russia being synonymous with the USSR. I like his wit, and how he reveals lessons from his family history. I feel a kinship as an observer of life myself, since very early on, and one whose path has crossed many (many) supposed boundaries to discover that all (or at least, much) is figment, speculation, often prejudice, often aspiration. This learning has brought joy for a too brief time, then, unexpectedly, a sorrow so deep as to present that abyss you reference.
I like your writing, too, discovered just today. Glad that you've opened comments on this post so I can pass that along. Perhaps the reading will inspire my own contributions over time. For now, I feel too vulnerable in an environment that thinks itself democratic and liberal, so progressive, while embracing authoritarianism of an insidious sort, enforced as social convention. In my management learning, groupthink was something to avoid. Now it's an "identity."
Tonight, here in Canada, I'll be on a panel after a (IMO too long) very US-oriented documentary that highlights an important issue in a way that might, again my opinion, muddy the waters it seeks to clear. The thrust is decline in joining with others as a threat to democracy. I wonder if simply highlighting the obvious "good" is enough, and whether I can pull a door slightly open toward a fuller insight. Distracting thoughts in a moment to breathe, lifting my head from a research project. Thanks for the break.
So... Yeah. I feel the same way. It's worse than the suicide of the west... it seems a concerted effort to actively murder the west.
Welcome to the Endarkenment.
Also, I thought of you earlier this week. It occurred to me how basically impossible my job would be now if I were deaf. As a computer jock. In 2023. Because so many of my interactions are on "Zoom" calls, but where nobody has their camera on because we're screen sharing. There's no chance we could afford a sign interpreter for these meetings (and that's a part of the US Government) and without either that or lip reading, I suspect I'd never be able to follow along. I mean, sure, there's transcription tech, but I doubt that most of that is *particularly* good at gobbledegook tech speak.
I dunno where I'm going with that other than "I thought of you" and "I'm glad I can hear".
Though, don't load me into your RNG. I have secured a job and secured housing, so... if you still have that picture you took with the red tree and the brook, and want to send it to me for *this* Christmas, I can finally provide an address.
I hope to some day resubscribe. I'm trying to hammer out the debt I already have first, though. Turns out, after inflation, I manage to make a whole 83% of what I did right out of college, back in 2000. This... does not feel like a sustainable trajectory. :-/
Thank you for your jaunty review, Holly, and here's to it: I'm ordering the book, nay, bookS, so as to spread the word. Haven't read it yet, but as a staunch KK fan and supporter, I know it's going to be a fine outing. Off we go and here's an early Merry Christmas to you, ho ho ho!
Had a stunning conversation with my 30-year-old daughter about the virtues of Communism over the oppression of Capitalism. This is definitely going to be her Christmas pesent. Will she read it? Doubtful. But the humour may spur her along...
When I was young, I knew in theory that Communism was bad, but really in my heart of hearts I thought it was not as bad as people were making it out to be.
What cured me of that misconception was meeting my husband, who lived for two years in the Soviet Union and has many Russian friends, and even more our family’s time living in Prague from 2014-18.
Americans who don’t personally know anyone who lived under this oppression really have no idea how bad it was, and how the oppression pervaded every aspect of life. In Moscow in 1985, my husband once stopped by his friends’ house without calling first--totally normal for an American. He found the whole household assembled at the door, obviously terrified they were about to be arrested. A simple friendly knock was an instrument of terror. The father of a Czech friend of my son’s was a political prisoner for his beliefs. Other Czech friends have told me of food shortages (because they had to send all the crops to the central government) and of not being allowed to practice their professions or choose what to study. A Slovak friend is Christian, and her family was under constant threat from the government simply because of their religious beliefs.
I believe that young people who support Communism do so out of ignorance. Books and experiences that inform them of reality are crucial for their education.
I'd like to call Kisin a friend, myself, with a Belorussian background I thought was Russian growing up, what with Russia being synonymous with the USSR. I like his wit, and how he reveals lessons from his family history. I feel a kinship as an observer of life myself, since very early on, and one whose path has crossed many (many) supposed boundaries to discover that all (or at least, much) is figment, speculation, often prejudice, often aspiration. This learning has brought joy for a too brief time, then, unexpectedly, a sorrow so deep as to present that abyss you reference.
I like your writing, too, discovered just today. Glad that you've opened comments on this post so I can pass that along. Perhaps the reading will inspire my own contributions over time. For now, I feel too vulnerable in an environment that thinks itself democratic and liberal, so progressive, while embracing authoritarianism of an insidious sort, enforced as social convention. In my management learning, groupthink was something to avoid. Now it's an "identity."
Tonight, here in Canada, I'll be on a panel after a (IMO too long) very US-oriented documentary that highlights an important issue in a way that might, again my opinion, muddy the waters it seeks to clear. The thrust is decline in joining with others as a threat to democracy. I wonder if simply highlighting the obvious "good" is enough, and whether I can pull a door slightly open toward a fuller insight. Distracting thoughts in a moment to breathe, lifting my head from a research project. Thanks for the break.
Thanks for the review & recommendation; I just added it to my audible.com wish list.
So... Yeah. I feel the same way. It's worse than the suicide of the west... it seems a concerted effort to actively murder the west.
Welcome to the Endarkenment.
Also, I thought of you earlier this week. It occurred to me how basically impossible my job would be now if I were deaf. As a computer jock. In 2023. Because so many of my interactions are on "Zoom" calls, but where nobody has their camera on because we're screen sharing. There's no chance we could afford a sign interpreter for these meetings (and that's a part of the US Government) and without either that or lip reading, I suspect I'd never be able to follow along. I mean, sure, there's transcription tech, but I doubt that most of that is *particularly* good at gobbledegook tech speak.
I dunno where I'm going with that other than "I thought of you" and "I'm glad I can hear".
I think I'd like to read this book.
END OF MESSAGE
Though, don't load me into your RNG. I have secured a job and secured housing, so... if you still have that picture you took with the red tree and the brook, and want to send it to me for *this* Christmas, I can finally provide an address.
I hope to some day resubscribe. I'm trying to hammer out the debt I already have first, though. Turns out, after inflation, I manage to make a whole 83% of what I did right out of college, back in 2000. This... does not feel like a sustainable trajectory. :-/
This is now on my list to read.
Bought the book. Thanks for the head's up.
Pre-ordered and devoured the moment it became available on Audible... it should probably be standard reading in middle school imo.
I'm going to read this! Maybe I'll win a copy 😊
You did!! Email hollymathnerd at gmail dot com with where to send it, and I'll send it out tomorrow.
Oh hooray!!!
Thanks for the kind and useful commentary. Hear, hear...
Thank you for your jaunty review, Holly, and here's to it: I'm ordering the book, nay, bookS, so as to spread the word. Haven't read it yet, but as a staunch KK fan and supporter, I know it's going to be a fine outing. Off we go and here's an early Merry Christmas to you, ho ho ho!
Definitely ordering it. Another one work considering is Live Not by Lies by Rod Dreher.
It had slipped to the back of my mind, thanks so much for the reminder.
Had a stunning conversation with my 30-year-old daughter about the virtues of Communism over the oppression of Capitalism. This is definitely going to be her Christmas pesent. Will she read it? Doubtful. But the humour may spur her along...
When I was young, I knew in theory that Communism was bad, but really in my heart of hearts I thought it was not as bad as people were making it out to be.
What cured me of that misconception was meeting my husband, who lived for two years in the Soviet Union and has many Russian friends, and even more our family’s time living in Prague from 2014-18.
Americans who don’t personally know anyone who lived under this oppression really have no idea how bad it was, and how the oppression pervaded every aspect of life. In Moscow in 1985, my husband once stopped by his friends’ house without calling first--totally normal for an American. He found the whole household assembled at the door, obviously terrified they were about to be arrested. A simple friendly knock was an instrument of terror. The father of a Czech friend of my son’s was a political prisoner for his beliefs. Other Czech friends have told me of food shortages (because they had to send all the crops to the central government) and of not being allowed to practice their professions or choose what to study. A Slovak friend is Christian, and her family was under constant threat from the government simply because of their religious beliefs.
I believe that young people who support Communism do so out of ignorance. Books and experiences that inform them of reality are crucial for their education.
Thanks for the review. I’ve read some of Kisin’s work on substack and I’ll put this in the queue.
Book is great, easy and fast read. Highly recommended
You leave me wanting to read the book ... then send it to everyone I know.