June 24, 2009 — Contents

WEDNESDAY JUNE 24 CONTENTS

(1)  Another Original LR Translation:  Essel on Poland

(2)  EDITORIAL:  Russia, black sheep of BRIC

(3)  EDITORIAL:  IKEA and the Russian Jackals

(4)  Lipman on Poland

(5)  Shamapova Exposed at Wimbledon

NOTE:  The President of Ingushetia has been critically wounded in a suicide bombing.  It’s the fourth major attack on a public official in the last three weeks in the Caucasus.  Russia has clearly lost control of the region.  As a result, Kim Zigfeld calls for divestment from the 2014 Olympics in the latest installment of her Russia column on the American Thinker.  We second that motion.  This matter is now urgent and demands the attention of the President of the United States.

Another Original LR Translation: Poland and World War II

Translator’s Introduction

Knowing one’s history helps avoid repeating errors made in the past and thus makes one better able to control the present and better take one’s country in a chosen direction.

The Russians, inventors of the Potemkin village, under Stalin wrote a Potemkin past for themselves themselves and therefore lost track of the present, leading to the creation and eventual collapse of one of the most evil societies the world has seen.

Lilliputin and his Teddy Bear are, of course, apples off the same tree. So what better way to get Russia off its knees and back right at the bottom of the ditch where it has been for most of its history than by re-writing recent history instead of getting down to some real thinking!

EDITORIAL: Russia Exposed as the Black Sheep of BRIC

EDITORIAL

Russia Exposed as the Black Sheep of BRIC

Russia as Black Sheep

A devastating new study by the Frontier Strategy Group reveals that a large cross section of international investors has rejected Russia when comparing it with the other members of the so-called “BRIC” group.  Nearly twice as many investors in the group thought Brazil would be a “top-3” investing opportunity in the next three years as thought Russia would be, and China and India were right behind Brazil. Russia’s level of support as a top-3 candidate was rivaled by the likes of Columbia and Thailand and bested by tiny, backward Vietnam.  Russia was also soundly thrashed by Mexico.  “It was incredibly surprising to us how quickly people had abandoned Russia,” said Alex Turkeltaub, Frontier Strategy Group’s chairman, to the Wall Street Journal.

This was hardly the kind of news Russian “president” Dima Medvedev was looking for when he attended the BRIC summit last week. 

EDITORIAL: IKEA and the Russian Jackals

EDITORIAL

IKEA and the Russian Jackals

The story of IKEA’s foolhardy entry into the Russian market is a cautionary tale for any Western business, and the moral of the story is simple:  Don’t do it!  We must confess, we take some pleasure in watching the zebra-like carcass of IKEA being ripped apart and devoured by the Russian jackals.  It’s a fate the company richly deserves for playing its part in supporting the Putin dictatorship.  Sensible consumers should buy their furniture elsewhere.

Lipman on Russia’s Invasion of Poland’s History

Masha Lipman of the Carnegie Center, writing in the Washington Post:

The Russian government has intensified its attempts to perfect the nation’s past. The Defense Ministry posted an academic article on its Web site arguing that Hitler’s territorial claims on Poland were “moderate” and “can hardly be referred to as unsubstantiated.” After Poland rejected these claims, seeking “to gain a great power status,” the article went on, it was only natural that Germany would attack — starting World War II. When the article became the subject of news coverage, sparking discussion at home and abroad, it was removed from the site.

Shameful Sharapova Fraud at Wimbledon

Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir? Me SO horny!

If you know that “Russian” Maria Sharapova (she lives and pays taxes in America, not Russia) is currently ranked #59 in the world, then it will probably surprise you to learn that she received the #24 seed in the ladies draw at Wimbledon this year.  Not the bottom seed of #32, mind you, but #24.

Why did she receive this generous gift? 

Well, the tournament organizers were quite shameless in explaining. They’re desperate to create some kind of interest in their event:  “Her presence can do nothing other than provide a huge boost to the women’s field at The Championships.” That’s a pretty sad commentary on the state of women’s tennis, but it’s quite true.