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MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

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                       Countdown for Christmas

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Central Europe’s 1989 Freedom Tsunami

Thirty years ago on 9 November 1989, the world suddenly changed.  Mass civil and religious demonstrations rocking East German cities created a political Tsunami which soon reached Berlin.   

Berlin, the divided city and German capital at the epicenter of the Cold War, would see an

unexpected performance of Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” as throngs of East German comrades

suddenly rushed towards the Berlin Wall and finally breached the barrier.

Yes on that November night, the Joshua Trumpet sounded, and the Wall came tumbling down.  As in a Fairy Tale the Wall had fallen…the evil force was seemingly gone, banished.  Germany would become reunited a year later in peace and freedom.  Europe would be whole and free.

Yet these extraordinary events just didn’t happen by chance but through a rare combination of 

Spiritual, Political and Economic factors.  The stars had to be aligned just right!

What were called the socialist states, those counties abandoned to Stalin’s charms at Yalta and condemned to a forgotten fate behind what Churchill would call the Iron Curtain, suddenly erupted in a frenzy of freedom to break away from Moscow’s icy grip.

The election of Pope John Paul II, a Polish pontiff was the first step.  This was a decade earlier in 1978 when he became the first non-Italian Pontiff in 400 years and energized a religious  reawakening in Poland where the People’s Republic could never totally subdue the Catholic Church.  Besides a Polish Pope, Central Europe’s largest nation also saw a free trade union movement Solidarity emboldened.   

Ronald Reagan, elected president of the USA in 1980, formed the second building block.  

The Reagan Administration unapologetically confronted Soviet communism and didn’t flinch

in supporting NATO.  Standing before the Berlin Wall in June 1987, President Reagan challenged the new Soviet leader, “Mr. Gorbachev, Tear down this Wall.”  At the time the speech was largely met with smirking contempt on both sides of the Atlantic.     

Indeed Mikhail Gorbachev, the reformist Soviet leader wavered and then blinked at the critical moment.  And West Germany’s  Chancellor Helmut Kohl focused his vision on reunification, again at the crucial moment.  Freedom would soon prevail from Poland, to Hungary, Czechoslovakia and East Germany.      

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier paid particular tribute to Germany’s neighbors;

“Without the courage of the will to freedom of the Poles and Hungarians, the Czechs and Slovaks, the peaceful revolutions in Eastern Europe and Germany's reunification would not have been possible.”

Having seen the Berlin Wall a decade before these momentous events it would be nearly inconceivable that this austere and brutal cold concrete barrier which ripped through the heart of one of  Europe’s great cities would ever fall, short of a major conflict.  

The Wall and the entire formidable inter-German barrier dividing the country for that matter, solidified systems and ossified ideologies.  It stood as a silent testament to terror for a quarter century.

Behind the Wall stood the German Democratic Republic, the dour socialist satrap which

needed a barrier to keep its comrades in. 

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a momentous and memorable address in Berlin stated, 

“East Germans knew they weren’t alone.  They knew they had a partner.  And they took heart from the soaring words of leaders and deeds of Presidents Truman and Kennedy and Reagan.”

“They saw kindred spirits all across the world.  They saw them in Poland, the march for Solidarity. They felt the prayers of Pope John Paul II,” he added. 

Yet German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned, “the values on which Europe is founded, freedom, democracy, equality, rule of law, human rights, they are anything but self-evident and they have to be revitalized and defended time and time again.”

Secretary Pompeo added, “let us also not take lightly the threats to our freedoms, the challenges that we all face from regimes, regimes that rule instead of govern, regimes that crush rights instead of protect them, regimes for which this anniversary is a fearful warning, not a cause for celebration.”

Transatlantic solidarity and values bound the U.S. and Europe together during the Cold War.  Sadly, over the past twenty years the focus of shared security and political interests has blurred. 

Clearly, the USA working in multilateral tandem with our NATO partners still offers the best defense for America’s own security. 

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The Bears of the Goblins!

After a long hot Summer and a beautiful Autumn, the Bears of the Goblins
in Paris are exhausted!!  (see earlier blogs) 

The iconic Nounours are resting up for a new Season.

They will be back I'm certain next year.  

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Hungarian Revolution Remembered

               1956-2019


On 23 October 1956, Hungarians rose up en masse against the Soviet- installed
communist regime.   For ten glorious days, Hungary thought they would prevail 
in their epic Fight for Freedom!

Sadly the Soviets counterattacked and the Revolution was crushed and Hungary
was returned to a reign of terror.  By November a gloom descended which would only
totally pass in 1989 when Hungary regained its sovereignty.  

The picture above shows the Hungarian Flag, the communist icon torn from the
center.   This flag symbolizes 1956.  The Anthem of the uprising was Beethoven's
5th Symphony!


Remember 1956!

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New York's Steuben Day Parade

The 62nd Steuben Day Parade marched up Fifth Avenue in New York.
Thousands of participants from the USA, Germany and Austria took part in
the annual celebration of German/American friendship.

Under clear blue skies participants ranging from the US Military Academy at
West Point, to the New York City Fire Department and bands from Austria,
Germany and metropolitan New York participated.

             New York's expanding list of Beer Halls were represented too!!

As were local German language schools both in Westchester and Connecticut.


                                       

And it was also time to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall!!

Who can believe it's already 30 years??

The parade honors the central role played by German General von Steuben
in developing the Revolutionary Army during the American Revolution.
Von Steuben later founded the German language club at West Point.

The theme of the parade was "Wunderbar Together" a call for closer
ties between the USA and Germany.

Dr Emily Haber, German Ambassador to the United States served
as Grand Marshal.

                                                  Until next year, Auf Wiedersehen!!!

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UN General Assembly Confronts Global Crisis Overload

Presidents, Prime Ministers, and Potentates are assembling in New York for the 74th General Assembly.  During this annual rite of Autumn, delegations from the UN’s 193 member states shall debate, discuss and hopefully find some common ground on a plethora of global crises ranging from bloody military conflicts, to tragic refugee outflows, and the undertow of poverty, underdevelopment and natural disasters. 

What’s known as the General Debate kicks off Tuesday September 24th with a week of high level speeches and meetings ranging from trying to secure peace, international security and engender global economic development.

President Donald Trump, Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro, France’s Emmanuel Macron, and South Korea’s Moon Jae-in  are among the first to address the UN Assembly at a time of heightened crisis as well as elevated expectations.  

Among controversial speakers this year include leaders from Turkey, Iran and Egypt. 

Naturally while policy speeches may make headlines often the real story emerges from quiet one to one meetings on the margins of the Assembly here at the UN or at nearby diplomatic missions. Will Donald Trump meet with Iran’s Hassan Rouhani while in New York remains the big question?  

Just two years ago President Trump delivered a fire and brimstone address to the Assembly aimed at North Korea in response to that communist country’s continued nuclear testing,  intercontinental ballistic missile firings and military threats to East Asia and the USA.  North Korea’s dictator Kim Jong-un eventually blinked and a potentially deadly nuclear crisis on the Korean Peninsula was averted.  

North Korea’s nuclear proliferation was not halted nor reversed but prudent diplomacy between

Washington and Pyongyang, supported by South Korea,  stopped the clock from ticking towards explosive military confrontation.  

  

Let’s review some of the pressing political and humanitarian issues facing the renewed session.

Conflicts

The unrelenting onslaught of global conflict continues; Syria’s bloody civil war grinds on after more than eight years of unmitigated terror. More than 600,000 people have died and 5.6 million have became refugees since 2011.  Though the Assad regime remains in power backed by Russia, sadly most of the opposition comprises  jihadi and radical Islamist terrorist groups.   

Yemen’s civil war slogs on as a proxy conflict between Iranian backed factions and Saudi Arabia. The fighting has taken a dangerous new turn with Iranian supported rebels using drones to attack and disable sensitive Saudi oil terminals.   

Afghanistan’s Islamic fundamentalist Taliban forces continue to battle a weak central government, the U.S and NATO allies remain politically torn as whether to keep militarily committed to this long running South Asian war or make a deal with the devil.  

At least a dozen other lethal conflicts continue from the Congo to Libya and Mali to Ukraine.  

Refugee Outflows

Syria’s tragedy leads the list for the most tragic.  As stated 5.6 million Syrians have fled their country; most remain in neighboring Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan. Furthermore over 6 million people have been internally displaced inside beleaguered Syria. 

Venezuela continues to percolate politically.  As the once prosperous country sinks deeper into chaos, 4 million people have fled Maduro’s socialist regime.  This is Latin America’s most pressing crisis; countries such as Colombia, Ecuador and Brazil help with the refugee overflow. 

In Southeast Asia,  Myanmar/Burma’s regime forced 900,000 Rohingya Muslims out of their homes. The UN’s World Food Program allocates $16 million monthly to help these unfortunates who mostly take refuge in neighboring Bangladesh.  

Just in time for the new session, the USA has a new Ambassador, Kelly Craft, who replaces the indefatigable Nikki Haley.  Ambassador Craft stated she will be the “voice of America’s unwavering commitment to democracy, freedom, human rights, and, whenever possible, the peaceful resolution of conflicts.” She added, “ In a world marked by humanitarian crises and geopolitical challenges, strong American leadership is absolutely critical, and I intend to provide it.”

Amb. Craft stated significantly, “I will defend America’s values and interests. I will stand by our friends and allies.” 

Off and running for an interesting and very likely unpredictable new UN session.  

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                             Notre Dame Still Proudly Stands!

Four months after the devastating fire, Notre Dame cathedral, the Gothic
masterpiece in the center f Paris still stands proudly.  Yet while the facade
of this magnificent church appears unaffected by the 15 April inferno, upon
closer scrutiny one sees a fence closing off the structure.  

The fire was strongest in the rear of the cathedral along with the roof; here
one sees some new wooden braces holding up the flying buttresses along with  
metal structure where the famed spire collapsed.

Notre Dame will Rebuild!!!

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Paris When it Sizzles

Heatwave Hits France


In the midst of the current heatwave in France, a Canicule, some
Bears are taking it easy in the Sun.   Though the Temps reached 
38 on 24 July, and recorded an all time high of 42 C for Paris on the 25th,
here are some views of the NouNours de Gobelins.  The previous record was
set in 1947. 


Bears of the Goblins.   

The stuffed bears are found in the 13th Arr and  5th Arr. or District. 

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Moon Landing Remembered—Failure Was Not an Option

For those of us of a certain age, we vividly remember where we were on July 20, 1969 the date of America’s successful Lunar landing.  On a cool July southern Vermont evening my parents and I visited friends to watch what was expected to be a live transmission from the Moon!  So on a flickering black and white TV, they were able to pull in WBZ from Boston, and receive what even then we knew would be history. 

America’s iconic space program was steeped in lore and legend but actually in the beginning  had more to do with keeping up with the Soviets than actually exploring the huge frontiers of Outer Space.

We all know the story; the Soviets launched the Sputnik satellite which jolted American complacency and concentrated our attention on what later would be called the space race.  By 1961, the Soviets had sent a man into space.  In 1962 President John F. Kennedy pledged, “We choose to go to the Moon!”

Actually his impulse was more political than scientific. 

  

NASA became THE cutting edge and popular government agency if there ever was one.  A whole generation was inspired by its vision the daring, and the human and technological achievements of the Space Program.  Over 400,000 people worked in the program and NASA had an unquestioned budget of $25 billion, ( $175 billion in today’s numbers!)  

Think about it; from never having had an astronaut fly in outer space until 1961, a scientific program fast tracked an extraordinary mobilization which by 1969 operated multi-manned missions on the cusp of reaching and landing on the Moon.  

For NASA, getting a man to the Moon was part of a long, arduous and dangerous series of space missions.  In May 1961, Alan Shepherd, from New Hampshire, became the first American in Space.  He was followed by John Glenn’s Mercury Mission in 1962 where he became the first man to orbit the earth. 

The storied Apollo Missions were the stepping stones.  The first step was a disaster; the terrible 1967 Apollo 1 launch pad ground accident which saw the deaths of  three astronauts.  Two lunar orbit and return missions preceded the Apollo 11 landing mission.  

Part of the challenge was getting Astronauts to the Moon but also back safely.  

Three astronauts were chosen for the Apollo Lunar 11 mission; Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins. 

Interestingly and easily forgotten was Apollo 12,  just months later in November of 1969 where astronauts again landed on the Lunar surface, this time in the Ocean of Storms region.  

Then there was Apollo 13, the aborted and nearly disastrous mission in April 1970 and the subject of a thrilling movie.  All told Apollo carried out four more successful landing missions until December 1972.  

Over that period 12 American astronauts landed and walked on the Moon. The Apollo program had amazing ground support teams coordinated by NASA Flight Director Gene Krantz. 

The Moon landing was the highpoint of a tumultuous summer where domestic discord over the Vietnam war tore apart the nation’s fabric.  Casualties were mounting, the anti-war movement was seething, and the so-called Woodstock generation partied while American kids from Brooklyn, Biloxi and Baltimore were fighting and dying in the Mekong Delta. 

So where do we go from here?   Back to the Moon!  During the Obama Administration, NASA suffered from neglect of manned space flight programs and actually outsourced some launches to Russia!   Addressing the National Space Council, Vice President Mike Pence affirmed it’s now official  policy to return American astronauts to the Moon by 2024, thus putting the U.S. back in the game. 

Late that Sunday evening and amid lots of static and waiting which seemed forever before the astronauts left the Lunar capsule, there was the Main Event.  Leaving the capsule, with the immortal words “This is One small step for Man, and One Giant Leap for Mankind,”  Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were walking on the Moon!

Armstrong placed the American flag on the Lunar surface in what known as the Sea of Tranquility.  A few people in our group, among then two New York City school Principals, proudly pointed at the little TV set and kept saying “That’s our Flag, That’s an American flag!”   We walked home under the starry Vermont sky, and yes, winked at the Moon.  

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Musical Chairs at UN Security Council

In an annual process of diplomatic musical chairs the 193 member UN General Assembly has picked five countries to serve on the Security Council as non-permanent members.  Estonia, Niger, Tunisia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Vietnam were elected to two-year terms on the powerful Council starting next January.  

The elections, or rather selections, since most of the seats were unopposed are chosen to reflect regional representation from Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe.   The members join the fifteen member Security Council which is responsible for international peace and security and  controlled by the permanent five veto holding members, China, France, Russia, the United   Kingdom and the United States.  

While there’s intense behind the scenes lobbying and horse trading by contenders for a place on the prestigious Council, regional groups agree on consensus candidates or new members who never served as in the case of Estonia or the Caribbean island state of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. 

Realistically what does this mean in terms of Council balance and, as importantly, its effect on U.S. policy?   

Let's consider the new East European seat for a moment. 

Estonia trounced Romania in the only competitive race.  The Baltic democracy scored an impressive 132 to 58 in a second secret ballot.  Estonia, whose sovereignty was only restored in 1991 after a long Soviet occupation, has emerged as one of Eastern Europe’s most prosperous and technologically wired countries.

Following the successful vote, Estonia’s President Kersti Kaljulaid stated,  it’s an historic      moment, and the membership is “another layer on Estonia’s security shield.”  On the Council for the first time, Estonia replaces Poland whose tenure strongly supported Western values.  

So what are the likely Council dynamics and moreover what does this new constellation of forces mean for U.S. policy come January?  

Given the ongoing political frustrations from ongoing East/West Security Council deadlock,  

between Britain/France/USA versus both Russia and China, it’s highly unlikely the new  members will create an appreciable tilt away from the current diplomatic logjam on key issues ranging from Syria to Burma (Myanmar), North Korea, Ukraine or Venezuela.   

Estonia remains a strong and steadfast U.S. ally.  Much like Poland,  Estonia is a member of both NATO and the European Union.  Given that both countries are close American partners, the seat stays in the Positive column.  

Given the Security Council’s dangerously deadlocked dynamic, it’s time overdue to seek  common ground.

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Happy Europe Day!!

European Union Celebrates in NYC!!

New York's iconic Empire State Building is bathed in the colors of the European Union (EU)
as Europeans celebrate the anniversary of the EU on 9 May.  On that day in 1950, the historic 
proposal for the first tentative steps of European integration were taken.

Almost seventy years later Europe is Whole and Free.   The EU currently has 28 member states,
including the United Kingdom.

Here in a jovial moment, Ambassador Joao Vale de Almeida of Portugal greets delegates and  friends
at the EU's New York celebration.  

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                                        NOTRE DAME STANDS


Despite the terrible fire which collapsed the roof and destroyed large parts of the
famed Gothic Cathedral, Notre Dame de Paris still stands as a beautiful testament
to Civilization, Culture and to Christianity.

Notre Dame has suffered and has been damaged, but after 850 years, the masterpiece
of architecture and hope endures.

France mourns, the world weeps, but Notre Dame still Stands!  

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Best Baguette in New York 2019

Once again the French culinary community has been honored at an annual
contest honoring either the Best Baguette or the Best Croissant in New York!

This year it was the best Baguette being selected!

Arranged and sponsored by French Morning the online newsletter of all things
French as well as having such Gold Sponsors as the new budget carrier XL Airways
connecting New York to Paris as well as offering flights to Miami and San Francisco, 
the weekend event, brought together over a dozen New York bakers for a culinary
competition.

The Saturday afternoon contest was held at the club SPIN in the trendy Flatiron district.
Over 400 attendees came to the venue which offered glorious tastings of the signature 
baguettes as well as wine and cheese.  Who would have thought that tasting so many
baguettes would be both a full lunch as well as so much tasting pleasure?

                                                     

Each of more than a dozen bakeries from New York and New Jersey participated after
having first been selected from a larger Metropolitan list.

       

The Judges deliberate among themselves while the Bakers await the news!

Among the contestants were Maison Kayser, Pain d'Avignon, Breads, Recolte, 

Choc au Pain, La Boulangerie, Almondine, Epicerie Boulud, Le District,

Le French Dad, Orwashers, Silver Moon, Vaucluse. 

And before anyone thinks making amazing Baguettes is only mastered by the French, 

think again.   Many American bakers and even Jay Wang of Taiwan and owner of 

Recolte are in the serious competition. 

The Jury winner for First Place is MAISON KAYSER!

Pain d'Avignon earned the Best Specialized Bread and 

Best Public Selection was

Breads Bakery.  

For more information   FrenchMorning. com 

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Carlos Gardel Recalled...

The Franco/Argentine tango King!

Carlos Gardel and Ignacio Corsini playing on Radio Nacional in 1930 

                 Yes, there's even a Subte or Metro Station in Buenos Aires honoring the Tango King

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Carlos Gardel Remembered

Carlos Gardel, the celebrated Franco/Argentine singer, songwriter, 

composer and actor is well remembered in his adopted country.

Though born in Toulouse, France in 1890, the young Carlos moved 

with his mother to Argentina in 1893.

After a hard life Carlos worked his way into the tough but promising

entrainment industry.  Before long he was a well known songwriter

and composer of Argentina's signature music the Tango.  

By 1917 he became a recording star in Argentina and subsequent years would 

take him throughout Latin America.  By 1928 he was a star visiting Paris,

Barcelona and later New York.  

He died in a tragic plane crash in 1935.  

Here in Buenos Aires the Gardel house is now a museum in the  Palermo

district. 

                                             

       He remains the most prominent singer./songwriter in the history of Tango.