Marek Jan Chodakiewicz

It is time for the national conservatives and Trumpian populists to emerge from the Kremlin-dug rabbit hole and see Ukraine for what it really is. Many populists, libertarians, and national conservatives dislike Ukraine. They tend to be hostile or indifferent, at best, toward the nation’s fate even as it frantically battles against Russian aggression. Read more…

Francis’s narrative of parity between Russia and NATO (and Ukraine) is a pontifical dog whistle Pope Francis recently shocked many by positing parity between Vladimir Putin and Russia on one hand, and Ukraine and NATO on the other. The Holy Father insisted both are to blame for the raging war. In stark contrast to the “Holy…

ONE-PERCENTERS, COURTIERS, MAGICIANS & MINIONS Some 30 years ago I watched as the parents of a Columbia University freshman reacted with incredulity to their daughter’s shrill peroration about the necessity to remove crosses from all public spaces so as “not to offend anyone.” Her folks had shown up in New York to fetch her home…

Let’s peek into the fog of war, mostly on the Russian side. Who are the Russian troops invading Ukraine? What do they do and not do? After all, it is good to know who is actually responsible for all the carnage. We should also endeavor to differentiate between perception and reality, no matter how hard…

Japan has issued stern warnings about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It has moved to freeze Russian assets and properties; it supports extensive sanctions against the Kremlin. At least 61 Russian and Belarusian oligarchs and officials are impacted. The Japanese have also pledged assistance for the beleaguered Ukrainians. They further appealed to President Vladimir Putin against the use of nuclear weapons in the conflict. Read…

People dear to us live so long as we live, or at least as long as our memories function to keep them alive. Of course, frequent and even infrequent communion with the dear ones helps to keep the flame burning. When they are near physically, do visit them. When they are away, call if you…

Compliments of Vladimir Putin’s belligerence in Ukraine, NATO’s Denmark and Norway may soon welcome two more Nordic nations as our military alliance members: Sweden and Finland have been seriously considering joining up. This is not a given. Bot nations have long cherished their neutrality. Sweden sat out both World Wars. Afterward, it officially stayed aloof…

Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine, followed by rockets. President Vladimir Putin wants to subordinate it to Russia, of course. The situation is dynamic, so it is hard to tell what is developing. Thankfully, there is not a full-scale invasion yet. The missile attacks have targeted mostly Ukraine’s military infrastructure. Is an all-out offensive next? Putin’s…

The Cunning of Freedom, Saving the Self in an Age of False Idols by Ryszard Legutko Reviewed by Marek Jan Chodakiewicz One of the greatest tragedies following the implosion of Communism was the failure to “not primarily opening up a free space but reconstructing ‘the old order,’ bringing back what was real, good, proper” (p.…

At the beginning of the year in Kazakhstan, we had a replay of Czechoslovakia in 1968: a power struggle among the native leaders against a backdrop of popular unrest which resulted in a Moscow-led invasion. Instead of a color revolution, we should speak of satelliteization and imperial intervention. In January, Russia intervened with its puppets…