Having a wonderful time reminiscing about all my past travel (and other) adventures. Hope you’ll share them with me in my blog, “All Roads Led to Russia.”
While focusing today on the events of that other September 11th, twenty-five years ago, my thoughts turn — not to hatred and vengeance — but to kindness and empathy of the sort that is so sadly missing from our lives of late.
And surely there was never a kinder soul than the late Diana, Princess of Wales, whose philosophy of life might well be summed up in these few words:
“Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you.”
Princess Diana (1961 – 1997) – Visiting AIDS Patients
No matter how long you live, there are certain moments in your life that will never fade from memory. Not just the personal ones — your first day at school, your wedding, the births of your children, or the time you smashed your dad’s car into the neighbor’s mailbox. But the historic events: Pearl Harbor (for the most senior of us), VE Day, the first moon landing, or the assassination of President Kennedy.
Another such event happened 25 years ago today; and you didn’t have to be in New York, Washington, or Shanksville, Pennsylvania — or even in the United States — for it to be permanently imprinted on your brain in the most minute detail.
It’s hard to believe that an entire generation has been born and reached adulthood since that day, because I can still relive every second of it, with all of the attendant emotion, as if it were happening now.
It was a bright, sunny, cloudless day, with just the first hint of early fall in the air. I was driving from my home in Falls Church, Virginia, to my office in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., along U.S. Route 50, listening to my favorite FM radio station and thinking about the projects waiting for me in the office. Suddenly the music was interrupted by a news flash. Impossibly, a commercial plane had just flown into one of the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York.
And I thought: “How is that even possible? Why would a flight be over that neighborhood? Did the plane suffer a mechanical failure? What the hell . . . ?!!”
American Airlines Flight 11 Hits the North Tower
About 15 minutes later, as I continued listening to the broadcast, the announcer suddenly shouted that the second tower had also been hit . . . and I knew, with the most gut-wrenching pain, that these were no accidents. This was terrorism.
At that point, I had reached the place where I would exit Route 50 onto the road that would take me over the Key Bridge, across the Potomac River, and down M Street to my office. Or I could instead continue straight and head south, returning home by a different route than I had just come. What to do?
Our country was under attack. Should I go back home? Or should I continue on to work, where I would be with colleagues while we waited to see what was happening? I chose the latter.
Had I made a different decision, I would have had to pass directly by the Pentagon.
Instead, when that third plane hit the Pentagon, I was already safely in my office, across the river . . . but with a direct view of the site of the third strike and the black smoke billowing up from the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense.
American Airlines Flight 77 Strikes the Pentagon
With my co-workers, I watched the news on TV until, less than a half hour later, a fourth plane crashed into a field in Pennsylvania — taken down by passengers who made the heroic decision to prevent what would have been an even greater tragedy if that flight had continued on to the hijackers’ intended destination in D.C.
United Airlines Flight 93 Down at Shanksville, Pennsylvania
Meanwhile, like everyone else, I had been trying to reach members of my family to let them know I was all right. But all of the phone lines — both land lines and cell towers — were overwhelmed. My sister worked in suburban Virginia, but I couldn’t reach her. She used public transportation, and might not be able to get home. My son and daughter both lived some distance away, and I knew they’d be worried about both my sister and me. So I simply took off.
Not surprisingly, I wasn’t the only one. The roads were already gridlocked with people fleeing the city. I crept along, continuing to try my cell phone, but without luck. It took nearly an hour, for what should have been a 15-minute drive, to reach my sister’s office. I parked in front of her building, and for some reason I still cannot explain, I tried to put change into the parking meter . . . as though the police were going to be checking for parking violations that day! When I found that there was a coin stuck in the meter, I finally came to my senses, said “Screw it” (or words to that effect), and ran into my sister’s office building.
I’m sure I don’t have to describe the sense of relief when we saw each other. She had also, by some miracle, received a call from my son, who had been unable to reach me and finally got through to her. At that point, there was nothing left for us to do but go home.
And that’s when we both noticed something odd. Despite the traffic jams, and despite the extreme anxiety gripping everyone, people were treating one another with courtesy and consideration: waving pedestrians across the street, alternating the right-of-way at intersections without traffic lights, not honking their car horns. We were all stunned, experiencing the same feelings of disbelief and fear. And in that moment, we were all Americans, sharing a crisis that we couldn’t yet identify, but knowing that it was probably going to get worse before it got better.
D.C. Gridlock
And it did get worse, when the casualty reports were released, and when we saw the gaping hole in the side of the Pentagon and the empty spaces where the majestic Twin Towers had stood. And a few days later, when my grandson, then just three and a half, ran to me shouting, “Nana! Nana! Some bad guys just blowed up a building!”
But it also brought strangers together in ways we had never before experienced: the good people of Canada taking in thousands of travelers whose flights to the U.S. had to be diverted, and sending troops and first responders to help in the recovery; the group of young British soldiers I encountered at Dulles Airport a few days later, arriving to help out; NATO immediately invoking Article 5, unhesitatingly activating the mutual defense pact that had never before been necessary.
And individuals simply being kinder to one another, because we suddenly realized how fragile life can be.
If only it didn’t take a horrific tragedy to bring out the best in us . . .
Perhaps today, a quarter of a century later, as we pause to honor the victims of 9-11, we can also pledge to carry forward a measure of that kindness. The world can certainly use it.
The past month has seen a fresh buildup of tensions in Europe following a foiled drone attack against a Ukrainian cargo plane at Germany’s Leipzig/Halle Airport on August 8th — an attempt that has since been traced to Russian forces.
Russia, of course, has denied involvement, despite all evidence to the contrary, calling it an “anti-Russia action.” In the intervening weeks, the two countries have shuttered several of each other’s consular and cultural representations on their respective territories. And the Kremlin, not surprisingly, has gone so far as to threaten direct military strikes against Berlin.
But Berlin is standing fast. In a recent statement, the German government said:
“Whoever is attacking our infrastructure has to k now: We can strike back, and we can disrupt and destroy their infrastructure.”
– Source: BRICS News, September 9, 2026.
It is disconcerting, to say the least, to witness the many instances of Russia’s hybrid war against various NATO nations, which have resulted in the necessary buildup of military defenses across the continent. But Europe has dealt with Russia’s bullying tactics for decades, and they know that the only way to handle a bully is to stare him down.
Vladimir Putin is already embroiled in one war that he has been unable to win after nearly five years. His country has suffered immeasurable human losses; his military is seriously depleted; his economy is faltering; and his own popularity is in decline. He can scarcely afford a second war, even if his few remaining allies continue to support him . . . and that is a very big “if.”
Let’s just hope he’s smart enough to realize it in time.
World history is rife with stories of autocrats and their families flaunting their obscene wealth while their people starved. One need only think of Marie (“Let them eat cake”) Antoinette as a prime example. And we know how she and hubby Louis XVI ended up:
Oops! Sorry, Marie.
. . . not to mention the later Russian Revolution:
The Execution of the Romanovs
So it struck me as particularly idiotic when I read that Ivanka Trump — in addition to trying to commandeer an Albanian island for yet another posh Trump resort — had posted videos of her daughter Arabella riding horseback on a beach during a luxury family vacation while millions of Americans are struggling to afford gas for their cars and food for their tables.
But the thoughtless, in-your-face flaunting of the Trump billions came as no surprise, and I was about to pass over the article when I read that the video included background music: Coldplay’s “Viva la Vida.” And the author of the article pointed out that the clueless Ivanka clearly had no idea of the substance of the song’s lyrics when she chose it.
So of course I read those lyrics, and I laughed so hard I nearly choked. Because the words seemed to be nothing less than a forecast of the future — not only Ivanka’s, but that of the entire Trump clan when the “Flying Fickle Finger of Fate” finally points at them.
I would like to share those lyrics with you now . . . somewhat selfishly, I admit, because it’s more fun to have someone to laugh with. So please join me.
Viva La Vida *
I used to rule the world Seas would rise when I gave the word Now in the mornin’, I sleep alone Sweep the streets I used to own
I used to roll the dice Feel the fear in my enemy’s eyes Listen as the crowd would sing ”Now the old king is dead, long live the king” One minute, I held the key Next, the walls were closed on me And I discovered that my castles stand Upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand
I hear Jerusalem bells a-ringin’ Roman cavalry choirs are singin’ Be my mirror, my sword and shield My missionaries in a foreign field For some reason, I can’t explain Once you’d gone, there was never Never an honest word And that was when I ruled the world
It was a wicked and wild wind Blew down the doors to let me in Shattered windows and the sound of drums People couldn’t believe what I’d become And revolutionaries wait For my head on a silver plate Just a puppet on a lonely string Aw, who would ever wanna be king?
I hear Jerusalem bells a-ringin’ Roman cavalry choirs are singin’ Be my mirror, my sword and shield My missionaries in a foreign field For some reason, I can’t explain I know Saint Peter won’t call my name Never an honest word But that was when I ruled the world
* Viva la Vida lyrics copyright Audiam, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group, Wahana Musik Indonesia (WAMI)
All I can say is that, obviously, all the money in the world can’t fix stupid.
Thanks for joining me. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.
Viktor Orban, who last year told Vladimir Putin, “I am at your service,” lost this year’s election, ending his reign of 16 years as Hungary’s Prime Minister. And with his departure went Putin’s easy access to confidential EU information.
Vladimir Putin with Viktor Orban (undated)
This week, under Hungary’s current Prime Minister, Peter Magyar, ten Russian diplomats were ordered to leave the country after being accused of “unacceptable” activities incompatible with their diplomatic status. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Anita Orban (no relation to Viktor Orban) said that the decision to protect “Hungary’s security and sovereignty” does not mean they are “breaking off diplomatic relations with Russia.” [AP and Reuters, September 8, 2026.]
However, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told TASS news agency that Hungary could expect a “harsh and painful” response . . . but did not specify what form that response might take. [Id.]
Meanwhile, EU spokesman Christian Wigand said that Hungary’s decision was legitimate, and that the EU “will continue to closely coordinate” the situation. [Id.]
Gone are the days when Viktor Orban, after attending sensitive EU meetings on behalf of the Hungarian government, would then report directly to his friend Putin. And gone also are the days when Russian agents could operate freely on Hungarian territory.
I fondly recall my visit to Budapest for a conference on doing business in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union in 1990, just a year after Hungary had broken with its communist masters. It was a time of great change and great optimism as the country regained its sovereignty and rejoined the democratic West.
In recent years, I have watched with dismay as the Hungarian government, led by Viktor Orban, moved further and further into the sphere of Putin’s Russia. So it is with great relief and joy that I now view this turn in the opposite direction.
Welcome back, Hungary. I’m sure your fellow EU and NATO members feel the same.
It won’t solve the problems; but it is nice at least to have some thoughts on why the world is in the condition that it is.
Today’s quotes come from two American authors who need no introduction:
“All war is a symptom of man’s failure as a thinking animal.”
– John Steinbeck
John Steinbeck (1902 – 1968)
And this rather patronizing put-down:
“There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that ‘my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.’”
– Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov (1920 – 1992)
Whether you agree or not, it is food for thought. And thinking is always a good thing.
I did predict that the Witkoff-Kushner Dog & Pony Show in Moscow and Kyiv would amount to bupkus . . . but then, who didn’t?
Well, here they are, warmly greeting Vladimir Putin in Moscow as though he were Santa Claus:
And here they are again, arriving for lunch with some of their Russian buddies at an upscale Moscow restaurant displaying a wartime propaganda sign above the door that reads, “Все для победы!” — “Everything for Victory!”:
A day or two later, we see them in Kyiv with a very businesslike President Zelensky — our ally, our friend, and the brave man whose country has been devastated by four and a half years of bombardment by the tyrant whose demands the envoys were now delivering from Moscow:
Word has it that the terms they relayed to Zelensky were not just more of the usual from Putin, but had actually been expanded. In addition to his firm stance on retaining Ukrainian territory, barring Ukraine’s admission to NATO, and limiting its post-war security assurances, Putin has thrown in an additional requirement: that Ukraine amend its constitution to give special status to the Donbas region, which would then become Russian territory — along with some six million Ukrainians who would then become citizens of Russia.
Under Russia’s proposed terms, Ukraine would be required to declare neutrality, permanently abandon its bid for NATO membership and participation in other military alliances, ban foreign military forces from its territory, reaffirm its renunciation of nuclear weapons, reduce its armed forces by about 80 percent, waive all claims for war damages against Russia, and remove all sanctions and tariffs on Russian goods and services. [Kyiv Post, September 8, 2026.]
In other words, Vladimir Putin would win. He would be able to declare his “special military operation” a total victory, reinforce his image as the savior of Mother Russia, and keep his job for at least the next ten years.
A member of Ukraine’s Parliament, Anna Skorokhod, had this to say:
“It was not only not a diplomatic breakthrough, they [Witkoff and Kushner] arrived with even worse conditions than we had before. We see that on both sides there is no desire to communicate directly rather than through envoys, or to sit down at the negotiating table together.
“All these attempts [to restart the peace process], as we can see, aren’t successful. And the result has been that the Russian Federation now is setting forth even worse conditions . . . unfortunately, we have another complete failure in negotiations.” [Id.]
Anna Skorokhod
But why would anyone have expected a different result, when Trump continues to send a pair of real estate grifters to “negotiate” the settlement of a complex military and diplomatic issue with one of the world’s most vicious, deceptive, politically shrewd manipulators?
So what was the result of their Labor Day weekend efforts? Well, they got at least one nice lunch at a ritzy Moscow establishment. And, unless I miss my guess, they probably managed to do a little commercial business on the side. They are, after all, just a couple of businessmen, always on the lookout for the next deal.
And we wouldn’t want all that time and expense to have been a total waste . . . would we?
Following a weekend of meetings between the vaudeville team of Witkoff & Kushner and the presidents of Russia and Ukraine, the promised phone call between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin finally took place today.
According to Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, the hour-long call was “extremely frank” and “constructive” (the usual diplomatic adjectives applied to communications between opposing sides). He added that they had “focused on the issue of a settlement in Ukraine,” and that Putin had given Trump an “objective and detailed analysis [of the frontline situation], pointing out what the Americans could realistically do to bring the hostilities to a swift conclusion.” [Kyiv Post, September 8, 2026.]
[Ed.Note: What seems to be missing is what the Russians — who started this war — could realistically do to bring the hostilities to a swift conclusion.]
In what was apparently supposed to be a gesture of reassurance, Ushakov also said that Putin had stressed that Russia has “no aggressive plans” toward Europe. [Id.]
Right. I’m sure all of Europe will now rush to disarm.
*. *. *
As of this writing, there is some further word on the demands Putin presented to Ukrainian President Zelensky by way of Messrs. Witkoff and Kushner, which I will discuss in my early post tomorrow. Meanwhile, I wanted to get this bit of un-newsworthy news out of the way.
Incidentally, no sooner had the U.S. emissaries left Kyiv than Russia’s bombardment on the capital city resumed . . . in spades.
Look at the headlines: Russia vs. Ukraine; Israel vs. Gaza; the United States and Israel vs. Iran; North Korea vs. South Korea; China vs. Taiwan; Russia vs. Japan; Russia vs. Germany; the United States vs. Canada . . .
It’s a world at war with itself.
And when all is said and done . . . when (if ever) the dust settles . . . when there’s nothing left but the silence . . . we may be asking ourselves:
“What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or in the holy name of liberty or democracy?”
The day after U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner concluded their meetings in Moscow and Kyiv with Presidents Putin and Zelensky, Putin sent his spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, out front to tell reporters (and thus the world at large) where the Kremlin now stand vis-a-vis trilateral peace talks with Ukraine:
“As for the resumption of the trilateral format, you heard the statement from Kyiv yesterday. Mr. Kushner made such statements. We, too, do not rule out the resumption of this trilateral format, but it is still too early to speak of the venue and exact dates.” [Dmitry Antonov, Maxim Rodionov, and Andrew Osborn, Reuters, September 7, 2026.]
Dmitry “Dima” Peskov
While also declining to comment on the latest proposals, or what difficult issues remain to be ironed out, Peskov did say that a phone call between Putin and Donald Trump had not been ruled out by the Kremlin. *
* (Note: A later report from Kyiv said that Trump was expected to speak to both Putin and Zelensky by phone on Monday [Arpan Rai and Alex Croft, Independent September 7, 2026]. This was also confirmed by the White House; but it is now late Monday night (EDT), and I have seen no reports of any such conversation having taken place. Stay tuned for follow-up on this.)
Peskov then went on to say, in what I can only describe as the most eloquently constructed piece of crap I’ve heard in a long while:
“Undoubtedly, any attempts . . . represent a small step towards peace, and we truly hold the peace-building efforts of the American negotiators in very high regard. President Putin himself has said that he holds President Trump’s efforts in high regard, and that he is grateful to President Trump for his commitment to this path towards peace.” [Reuters, op.cit.]
BFFs
Sorry, Dima, but that just won’t cut it. We’re already well aware of the existence of the Putin-Trump Mutual Admiration Society. What we need now are not more dissembling and stalling; what we need are hard information, serious proposals, and genuine efforts at bringing Putin’s calamitous war to an end.
