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.”
Many (if not most) of us have been thinking recently, more than we ever expected to, about the nature of tyranny, authoritarianism, and imperialism. And it seems to me that, in the simplest of terms, they most often derive from a combination of greed, narcissism driven by a deep-seated insecurity, and a resultant need to prove oneself superior.
And it is that insecurity that will get them in the end. As British author J.K. Rowling wrote:
“Voldemort himself created his worst enemy, just as tyrants everywhere do! Have you any idea how much tyrants fear the people they oppress? All of them realize that, one day, amongst their many victims, there is sure to be one who rises against them and strikes back!”
– J.K. Rowling, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”
J. K. Rowling
And that realization, in turn, impels them to continue along the path to what they see as their only means of self-preservation, but is in reality the seed of their ultimate destruction.
All that is needed now is that one — or the many — with the courage to rise up and strike back.
In 1965, Tony Bennett recorded an album that included a song titled “If I Ruled the World,” the second verse of which went like this:
“If I ruled the world, Every man would be as free as a bird, Every voice would be a voice to be heard, Take my word we would treasure each day that occurred.”
The ‘60s were a decade of youthful exuberance and hope for the future . . . a time when authors, lyricists, poets and singers wrote and sang of freedom, peace, love and brotherhood . . . a time when John F. Kennedy spoke of Camelot and a “New Frontier”, and Lyndon Johnson carried forward JFK’s ideals with his “Great Society,” focused on economic equality, civil rights, improved education, and healthcare for everyone.
JFK and LBJ: An era of hope for the future
Perhaps we were a little naive, a bit unrealistic in our idealism. Camelot wasn’t real; but democracy was, and respect was, and love of country was. We weren’t perfect; but we were united in a fight against totalitarianism, against the evils of autocracy, against those who would destroy the greatest form of government yet devised by mankind.
And we were joined with our allies in protecting freedom throughout the world by means of an organization known as the United Nations. In 1965, it was just 20 years old; today, it has served to keep the world a safer place for 80 years. But now, there is one who would destroy it.
Not satisfied with his horrific invasion of Venezuela, or his mania to “own” Greenland and absorb Canada, Donald Trump has now formed a “Board of Peace,” whose charter would seek to “solidify peace in the Middle East,” and also to “embark on a bold new approach to resolving global conflict.” [Julian Borger, The Guardian, January 19, 2026.]
Initially comprised primarily of American government officials and private industry leaders, with Trump himself serving as the inaugural chairman and having authority over membership decisions, invitations have also gone out to the heads of a number of governments around the globe — many of them being authoritarian regimes that have no more interest in peace than Trump himself does. Indeed, several are already members of, or applicants for membership in, Vladimir Putin’s brainchild, BRICS.
On Monday, in a personal exchange with a friend after reading about this so-called “Board of Peace,” I mused: “Is he [Trump] trying to form an alternative UN? Or is he just living in an alternate universe?” And my friend wrote back: “Both?”
Invitations have, of course, also gone out to America’s traditional allies. And now European sources have said that the mandate of the Board is expanding, and — echoing the concerns expressed between my friend and me — that “Trump appears to see it as a vehicle to resolve other conflicts and shape international events, according to several European officials.” [Ania Nussbaum, Josh Wingrove and Samy Adghirni, Bloomberg, January 20, 2026.]
A United Nations of Autocrats.
No one can yet predict whether this latest vainglorious notion of Trump’s will actually materialize. Despite his assertions that he has made the U.S. the “most respected” nation in the world, the opposite is true. I can’t imagine our traditional allies being taken in by anything he proposes at this point . . . and least of all if Russia, China, Belarus, or any of the other authoritarian regimes decide to accept their invitations.
But what is becoming apparent is that, in his drive to undermine — and possibly destroy — NATO and the UN itself, Trump is seeking to offer the world an alternative “peace-keeping” body, with himself at the helm. He knows his current term as president is finite. But why settle for being “king” of just one country for a few years, when he could conceivably rule the world for the rest of his life?
In my earlier post today — “Starting From Scratch: What Does the Future Hold for Gaza?” — I expressed my surprise that Donald Trump had not invited China’s Xi Jinping or North Korea’s Kim Jong Un to join his proposed “Board of Peace.”
Kim Jong Un and Xi Jinping: Birds of a Feather
As it turns out, Xi has indeed been invited. So, add another name to the list of authoritarians whom Trump would like to include in his new-world-order substitute for the United Nations.
On this one-year anniversary of you-know-who moving back into the White House, I’ve decided to take a break from politics for a few hours and look instead at what’s going on in the rest of the world: specifically, with my two favorite Russian-emigre families, the Canadian Feenstras (currently in Ontario) and the Australian Pulleys (holding down the fort in Nizhny Novgorod).
Not surprisingly, since it is January and the two locations are situated at nearly the same northern parallel, the common denominator is snow . . . and lots of it. But their lives couldn’t be any more different at the moment.
Let It Snow . . .
While the Feenstras celebrate son Eli’s eighth birthday with a day at the bowling alley, followed by a party at home featuring a figure-8-shaped cake baked by Nana and gifts of Legos, trucks and books:
. . . the Pulleys — with the farm buried in two feet of new-fallen snow and temperatures falling to -20 C. — dig their way out in order for Jason to be able to help a friend who lives at some (unspecified) distance, who is having to deal with the local police authorities. As he explains, she is not in trouble with the law; but her house, which had previously been shot at by a person or persons unknown, has now also been set afire while she was at home.
He didn’t go into further detail as to the extent of the damage, though fortunately no one was injured. But a police investigation in Russia has to be a scary thing, and the victim is lucky to have a friend like Jason to help her through it.
I do hope he follows up on this story, and that it turns out to be an isolated incident and not a local crime wave. I would hate to think of the Feenstras having moved to Russia to raise their children in their idea of a safe place, only to find that there are bad people everywhere.
But enough sarcasm.
Anita Pulley also commented, on a separate YouTube video, that there was a possibility of their “disappearing” from that channel, and that they can now also be found on the state-operated VK network — Russia’s answer to Facebook. So we have further verification of the current Kremlin crackdown on communications, which, while not surprising, is a disturbing reminder of the progressive “Sovietization” of the Putin regime.
And I find myself wondering again whether there is more behind this lengthy sojourn of the Feenstras than we are being told. With eldest daughter Cora having taken a job in Ontario for three months while the rest of the family plans to be on a road trip through the United States, and the Pulleys amping up their broadcasts from the farm in Nizhny Novgorod, this is looking much less like a vacation and more like a transition.
Of course, I could be reading too much into it. But we’ll see.
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”
Let me be clear: There was no excuse, and there is no forgiveness, for the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas forces on the innocent civilians of Israel, which took the lives of more than 1,200 people, with another 251 taken hostage. A proportional response was most certainly called for, and most of the world stood firmly behind Israel and mourned with her people.
Gaza Today
But there is nothing proportional in what Benjamin Netanyahu has done to Gaza in the past two years. In his fury to exact revenge upon Hamas, he has leveled an entire region and killed an estimated 70,000 civilians, including children, journalists and aid workers, while also blocking the delivery of humanitarian aid for the survivors.
Peacekeeping efforts thus far have had only limited success, with ceasefire agreements being broken by one side or the other almost as soon as they take effect. And now Donald Trump — who knows even less about the history of the Middle East than he does about Russia and Ukraine, if that’s possible — thinks he not only has the solution to the Israel-Gaza conflict, and the perfect vision for the rebuilding of the territory, but also the divine right to run the show.
Well, why not? After Venezuela and Greenland, Gaza should be a piece of cake. And what’s next after that? Australia? Taiwan, before China gets their hands on it? Or how about the Holy See? I hear the Vatican is loaded with priceless ancient treasures.
Inside the Vatican – Ripe for the Picking?
*. *. *
But seriously, Trump has already formed a “Board of Peace” — a committee to oversee the reconstruction of Gaza — initially comprised of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, realtor-cum-special-envoy Steve Witkoff, realtor and son-in-law Jared Kushner, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, CEO of Apollo Global Management Marc Rowan, President of the World Bank Group Ajay Banga, and Deputy National Security Adviser Robert Gabriel. Needless to say, the Chairman of this illustrious group — which Trump describes as “the Greatest and Most Prestigious Board ever assembled” — is none other than . . . drumroll, please . . . Donald J. Trump. [Ivana Kottasova and Anna Chernova, CNN, January 19, 2026.]
Well, aside from the first three, at least he seems to have assembled a knowledgeable group to get things rolling.
But then he began casting his net over a wider territory — worldwide, in fact. Which wouldn’t be a bad thing, except for the fact that the first invitations have gone out to some of the world’s most notorious authoritarian leaders: Turkish president Erdogan, Argentine President Milei, Egyptian President el-Sisi, Hungarian Prime Minister Orban, Indian Prime Minister Modi, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, Belarusian (presumptive) President Lukashenko, and — as the cherry atop the ice cream sundae — Vladimir Putin. [Id.]
It is not yet clear how many of the invitees have responded. But in a statement to reporters during a regular media briefing, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said:
“President Putin also received through diplomatic channels an invitation to join this Board of Peace.” He said that the Kremlin is now reviewing the invitation and “hoping to get more details from the US side.” [Id.]
BFFs Again?
That’s right: Vladimir Putin — the man still raining terror, death and destruction on Ukraine — and several of his most ardent supporters are among those whose countries have been chosen by Trump as potential members of his “Board of Peace.” I’m surprised he hasn’t yet invited Xi Jinping or Kim Jong Un . . . or maybe he has and we just don’t know about it yet.
With or without Xi and Kim, I’m finding it difficult to imagine a group of people less likely ever to come to an agreement on anything.
And by the way, those wishing a permanent seat on the Board (as opposed to the regular three-year term) will be able to do so for the bargain price of $1 billion. According to an unnamed U.S. official, all funds will go toward rebuilding Gaza, and “there will be no exorbitant salaries and massive administrative bloat that plagues many other international organizations.” [Piper Hudspeth Blackburn, CNN, January 18, 2026.]
(Note that the official failed to define “exorbitant” and “massive.”)
Incidentally, an invitation was also sent to French President Emmanuel Macron, who is the only one thus far known to have said “thanks but no thanks.” France will not be participating.
“I think I’ll pass.”
*. *. *
Sun Tzu wrote “The Art of War”; Donald Trump (or rather, his ghost writer, Tony Schwartz) produced “The Art of the Deal.” The first has stood the test of time for more than two millennia; the second . . . well . . . not so much. But do you suppose Trump might now be aiming for a Nobel Prize for Literature with a new masterpiece, perhaps to be titled “The Art of Owning Everything”? If so, I foresee advice like this:
Method No. 1: Invade the country, kidnap its president, confiscate its oil and sell it to an adversarial country or countries, stashing the proceeds in a Qatari bank in your own name.
Method No. 2: Offer to buy the country, insult them if they refuse your offer, and threaten to resort to Plan B, which is disturbingly similar to Method No. 1.
Method No. 3: Have one of your authoritarian allies demolish a “shithole” region, doing your dirty work for you so that you can then move in, take it over, and — using other people’s money — build a big, gold-encrusted, Riviera-style resort for your billionaire friends to enjoy.
In his best days, even Mel Brooks couldn’t have made this stuff up. But this isn’t satire; this is a real person, pacing in his bedroom, shooting off social media rants at 3:00 a.m., really believing that it is not just conceivable, but totally o.k., for him to do these things.
In the years of my childhood, that description was applied to the ultimate comic book hero, Superman. In today’s cyber world, it’s the news that travels at supersonic speed, often rendering a just-released item obsolete, or at best, not completely accurate.
Just a short while ago, I stated that Russia was not expected to send a representative to the World Economic Forum being convened this week at Davos, Switzerland. I stand corrected.
According to a news flash that just popped up in my email, the Kremlin’s special envoy, economist and business executive Kirill Dmitriev, will indeed be attending. [Julian Borger, The Guardian, January 19, 2026.]
Whether he will be authorized to discuss the situation in Ukraine, however, is still unclear.
“We are working with our American partners to further advance the peace process. We will continue to work on achieving a just and sustainable peace, as well as security guarantees for Ukraine and agreeing on the next steps.”
So said Rustem Umerov, Ukraine’s chief negotiator, following yet another weekend of talks in the United States with Marco Rubio, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.[RFE/RL, January 19, 2026.]
People Freeze in Kyiv, as U.S. Talks Go Nowhere
Indicating that the talks would continue this week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Umerov reiterated:
“Ukraine needs peace that guarantees security and sovereignty.” [Id.]
Rustem Umerov
It’s the same old song — same tune, same lyrics, same imperative to avoid annoying Donald Trump. Same sh*t, different day.
It’s not Umerov’s fault; there simply isn’t anything new to report, because in Moscow, Vladimir Putin remains silent, refusing to discuss even a temporary ceasefire while his missiles, drones and ground troops continue their relentless attacks on the infrastructure of a nation of people suffering through another bitter Ukrainian winter.
Meanwhile, Trump — the guy who pulls the strings attached to Rubio, Witkoff and Kushner — hands Putin a ready-made permission slip to continue his war by setting an example in Venezuela and threatening to do the same to Greenland.
Yet Ukraine cannot stop trying. Because this is their only alternative:
Endless days and nights of death and destruction, living in shelters, fighting to find food, medicine, and a bit of warmth at aid stations — called “Points of Invincibility” — hastily created in yurts and other stationary or mobile tents:
A Yurt Aid Station in Mykolayiv, Southern Ukraine
Emergency Aid Tent in Kyiv, Ukraine
We’ll see what happens in Davos. But with Russia not expected to send an envoy to the forum, all discussions of the war in Ukraine will be strictly one-sided; and the assurances of continued support from the EU allies, while important to hear, will be unlikely to have any meaningful effect on the lives of the Ukrainian people as winter drags on.
When I wrote earlier today about a reunion with a couple of old friends, I realized — in addition to how good it was to see them — that there aren’t many of them left. Because they are just that: old friends.
I never expected to live this long. You see, my mother and sister had died at the same age, and when I eventually reached that age, I expected that I would follow suit. But I didn’t, and I’ve already beaten their record by more than two years.
That reminded me of something I’d read recently from the writings of the late TV writer and broadcaster Andy Rooney, whose wit and sense of irony made his weekly broadcasts something I looked forward to for many years:
“It’s paradoxical that the idea of living a long life appeals to everyone, but the idea of getting old doesn’t appeal to anyone.”
Andy Rooney (1919-2011)
Perhaps Colombian author Gabriel Garcia Marquez had the solution to that conundrum when he wrote:
“The secret of a good old age is simply an honorable pact with solitude.”
– Gabriel Garcia Marquez “One Hundred Years of Solitude”
Gabriel Garcia Marquez (1927-2014)
Taking into account what good, long lives they both enjoyed, they must have done something right. So perhaps I’ll try making a pact with . . . well, not total solitude, but a much quieter life. We’ll see how that works out.
I always write my blog posts a day ahead, so although you won’t see this until Monday, what happened actually took place on Sunday afternoon.
I was reminded today (Sunday) — in the most pleasant way — of the years when I had a life: a busy, active, productive, meaningful life. Not just going through the day-after-day routine that comes along with retirement, but the kind of life where you end each day exhausted because you’ve worked hard, and sometimes you can even say you’ve made a small but worthwhile difference in the world. Then you go out for drinks and maybe dinner with friends, your significant other, or a few colleagues from work, and head home for a well-earned good night’s sleep.
I miss those days. But obviously, nothing lasts forever, and I left that life behind me nearly ten years ago. I have kept in touch with a number of my former work friends including my last boss, with whom I worked for 21 years, and his lovely wife. On Saturday, I heard from him out of the blue, telling me that they would be passing by my area on their way to Florida and would like to stop by on Sunday.
We have been friends for a long time, and I was thrilled to see them again, to catch up on life in Washington, who’s who at the office, etc. And as we sat and talked, it became clear that my retirement came at exactly the right time. Because things have changed, and not for the better.
It had already started back then in 2016, and even earlier: the imposition of massive, onerous government regulations; the frenzied cost-cutting to maximize profit for the people at the top; the shift in focus from a friendly workplace environment to a more efficient, bottom-line mentality. Practicing law was no longer fun. Gone was the satisfaction of knowing you had provided assistance to someone in need . . . replaced by the knowledge that you had just racked up a massive number of billable hours by helping a corporation complete another billion-dollar merger.
So today’s visit was fortuitous in two ways: first, of course, to be able to catch up with old friends and recollect those happy years before invasive governmental regulation permeated every aspect of our lives. But also to remind myself that, since I do not have the power to reverse the changes that have taken place in the world, then maybe retirement was a good thing after all.
As another, even older friend said when she called from Arizona last week, she was just checking on a few people and was glad to know I was still above the ground . . . because a couple of the others weren’t.
I guess that — and all of those great memories — are a lot to be thankful for.
The Blog About Everything … and Sometimes Nothing 