War often brutalizes the best and most innocent people, while giving power to some of the worst. This week, as we cover the assault on Ukraine, I was reminded of my time in the siege of Sarajevo. So many who had lived in amity for so long couldn’t believe that just a few years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, when their hopes were so high, their sophisticated city of espresso sippers and music lovers could be pitched into war. The hard return of history was on my mind in this week’s essay, which notes the rise of authoritarianism around the world.
And more on Ukraine: We heard from Bill Browder, the American-born financier (his grandfather, Earl, was head of the American Communist Party) who made a mint in Russia after the fall of the USSR but became a Putin adversary and was deported. He believes Western sanctions on Russia should be tougher and smarter.
We also spoke with Caitlyn Fox, a senior at Friends University in Kansas, who prepared a show for her senior thesis of songs from musicals that have been censored throughout their history — only to be told she couldn’t perform it at school. She told us the story of each song. Not surprisingly, they are from some of the most-honored musicals, including Cabaret, Hair, and Sondheim.
And, in line with recent events, I’d like to recommend a 2015 Norwegian series our family has just caught up with on Netflix. Occupied artfully tells the story of a modern-day Russian occupation of Norway. It is well-acted, gripping, and now, sadly, frightfully prescient.
Scott Simon is one of NPR's most renowned news anchors. He is the host of Weekend Edition Saturday and one of the hosts of the morning news podcast Up First. Be sure to listen to him every Saturday on your local NPR station, and follow him on Twitter.
A part of the NATO treaty could turn Russia's invasion of Ukraine into a wider war. Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty means that an attack on one member state is determined to be an attack on all. Ukraine is not part of the alliance — but some of its neighbors are.
In the weeks before the invasion of Ukraine, Russia consistently deployed sarcasm in its messaging. It's a strategic tool, says one Russian expert. "It's a kind of postmodern cynicism, trying to put you on the back foot, trying to confuse you."
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