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'I Am Not Afraid of Death' [SPIEGEL INTERVIEWS ALEXANDER SOLZHENITSYN]
Der Spiegel ^ | July 23, 2007 | Christian Neef and Matthias Schepp

Posted on 07/25/2007 1:38:48 PM PDT by Feldkurat_Katz

'I Am Not Afraid of Death'

In an interview with SPIEGEL, prominent Russian writer and Nobel laureate Alexander Solzhenitsyn discusses Russia's turbulent history, Putin's version of democracy and his attitude to life and death.

SPIEGEL: Alexander Isayevich, when we came in we found you at work. It seems that even at the age of 88 you still feel this need to work, even though your health doesn't allow you to walk around your home. What do you derive your strength from?

Solzhenitsyn: I have always had that inner drive, since my birth. And I have always devoted myself gladly to work -- to work and to the struggle.

SPIEGEL: There are four tables in this space alone. In your new book "My American Years," which will be published in Germany this fall, you recollect that you used to write even while walking in the forest.

Solzhenitsyn: When I was in the gulag I would sometimes even write on stone walls. I used to write on scraps of paper, then I memorized the contents and destroyed the scraps.

SPIEGEL: And your strength did not leave you even in moments of enormous desperation?

Solzhenitsyn: Yes. I would often think: Whatever the outcome is going to be, let it be. And then things would turn out all right. It looks like some good came out of it.

(Excerpt) Read more at spiegel.de ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Russia
KEYWORDS: kosovo; nato; putin; russia; solzhenitsyn; sovietdissidents
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To: JosephW

Address the issue - Russia is becoming a fascist state and you support that.

This is appalling considering that Russia is arming our enemies.


101 posted on 07/28/2007 7:03:35 PM PDT by spanalot
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To: spanalot

Even the normal readers of that tripe commented enough for any rational person, perhaps you should go back and read those comments instead of asking for a translation of them.


102 posted on 07/28/2007 7:12:09 PM PDT by JosephW (Mohammad Lied, People die!)
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To: JosephW

(yawn...)


103 posted on 07/28/2007 7:17:15 PM PDT by spanalot
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To: JosephW

Do you believe, as Alexander Litvinenko did, that the apartment bombings in Moscow, which were blamed on Chechen rebels and used as a pretext to invade Chechnya, were planned?

OK: I do believe that. The Chechens would never blow up low-income housing in Moscow. Why would they? That would spread animosity towards the Chechens. Mr. Shchekochikhin, the editor of the only liberal Russian newspaper, Novaya Gazeta, was appointed by the Russian parliament to investigate the bombings of these apartment houses and was poisoned just like Litvinenko. He died the same way: He lost his hair, 12 days in a coma. Sergey Yushchenkov, also a member of the same commission to investigate the bombings, was gunned down by his apartment.


104 posted on 07/28/2007 8:13:25 PM PDT by spanalot
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To: spanalot

Once again you choose to believe the enemies of humanity (islamic terrorists) over the Russians. While I may not believe Putin to be a saint and may harbor a bit of distrust towards Russia, I can wait patiently to see if they will be our ally, while you jump at the chance to aid the enemies of humanity just for the sake of hurting Russia.

You have some truly messed up priorities!

Litvinenko had previously been suspected (even by his own admission) of smuggling radioactive materials into Northern Europe. Based on his history I would not be surprised if he wasn’t making material available to both the chechens (killers of schoolchildren) and possibly Western European (probably British) moslems to cause real havok. I honestly don’t know if the Russian govt had a hand in killing him, but if they did, I’m not sure they’re really the bad guys.


105 posted on 07/28/2007 10:11:31 PM PDT by JosephW (Mohammad Lied, People die!)
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To: JosephW

“Litvinenko had previously been suspected (even by his own admission)”

Anther Kremlin lie - Scotland Yard did the exhaustive investigation and the conclusion is obvious.

Only Putin bootlickers ignore the truth.

PS I did not know that the KGB agent that defected and whom I quoted was a muslim terrorist.

As a matter of fact, Putin has ordered the bombing of apt bulidings and the tank fire on the school in Beslan - all to create anti Chechyan hostility, a country that is devastated and long defeated.


106 posted on 07/29/2007 7:39:27 AM PDT by spanalot
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To: spanalot

Beslan - once again you give the terrorists a pass.

While the Russian govt may have made horrible decisions in Beslan and Moscow (Opera house) the blame belongs to the terrorists.

Then again I suppose you blame rape victims that are murdered for their bad decision to try and escape.

Do you have any moral integrity at all?


107 posted on 07/29/2007 8:23:46 AM PDT by JosephW (Mohammad Lied, People die!)
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To: JosephW

“While the Russian govt may have made horrible decisions in Beslan and Moscow (Opera house) “

horrible decision? Sounds like “bad weather and poor management” when Russian killed 15 million with the 3 famines.

PS - Was the FSB bombing of the apt buliding also a “horible decision”?


108 posted on 07/29/2007 8:37:22 AM PDT by spanalot
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To: spanalot

First of all it was the Soviets that kill 15 million. There has been a change of government in case you missed the news - generally Ronald Reagan is credited with it.

The bombings were by islamic terrorists, unless you want to believe a sympathizer for them.

What is your hatred of the Russian people? It goes well beyond their past as subject of the Soviet empire.


109 posted on 07/30/2007 12:11:48 AM PDT by JosephW (Mohammad Lied, People die!)
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To: lizol
Polish version:

http://wiadomosci.onet.pl/1426343,1292,kioskart.html

110 posted on 07/30/2007 6:42:39 AM PDT by Marcin
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