An American tourist in Russia
Ian Kummer 
Today Maria and I are in Kerch. There was not a sensational spectacle like in Moscow, but this morning thwre was a wreath laying ceremony and some ceremonies at the the city’s eternal flame, and at Kerch’s “obelisk of glory” at the top of the mountain. The eternal flame: Units that earned the “Kerch” designation … Read more
sorry for the sloppy post, we are in Crimea this week and internet access hasn’t been great. I’ll post some fun updates about our wanderings here soon, hopefully tomorrow. But anyway, let’s talk about the guy who was arrested. Allegedly a certain Staff Sgt. Gordon Black left his duty station in South Korea on leave … Read more
I’ve spoken about Russell Bentley’s mishap and death before on the podcast, but never written about it. However, I haven’t been idle. When I first heard of his disappearance on April 10, I started making some inquiries with my contacts.
Though I had never met Russell in person, I have corresponded with him in person and he forwarded a copy of his book for my thoughts on. So I was deeply concerned about his disappearance, but I didn’t cause a stink. While he was missing and before the death confirmation, I believed it was best to not make too much noise, as widespread publicity wouldn’t necessarily help him if he was in a potential kidnapping/hostage situation.
Now a couple of weeks later, I think I have all the facts I’m ever going to have.
I find the most recent Star Wars trilogy significant because it demonstrates an empire with the aesthetics of rebellion, which mirrors real life American tropes. In the previous movie, The Return of the Jedi, Princess Leia and her oligarch friends successfully regime changed the entire galaxy and put themselves in power. 20 years later in The Force Awakens, we … Read more
