Dear "Ladies of the Club" (also one of my favorite books),
I finished and posted on time . . . well . . . close! :) I enjoyed this book as much for its insights into Russian culture as I did for its spy/romance/missionary aspects. (Thanks for choosing it, Gina.) I teach Russian history as part of my World Geography curriculum and it continues to frustrate me that individual Russian citizens don't seem to realize how much good they could do by working together and helping each other. I know that part of the grit-your-teeth, don't-look-right-or-left, life-will-always-be-hard attitude comes from the harshness of the Russian climate and the vastness of its landscape, but it certainly contrasts with the American spirit of optimism. I was so pleased with the few individuals who were willing to risk to help M. Ramsdell. In a country where for centuries "standing out" or "speaking your mind" could mean death or torture, I am not sure we Americans really understand how much in "survival mode" these people were/are.
I was also frustrated with the power of the Russian mafia. "Democracy" in Russia is a shaky proposition at best. Really the one best and brightest hope is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is only by changing hearts and minds, by changing how people see themselves and their purpose in life that any lasting, significant change will take place in Russia. Without the gospel, it is too easy to slide back into the desire/need for a totalitarian/authoritarian government to "make" everyone do what is necessary for the good of society.
One last comment . . . I wondered how Ramsdell's first wife felt about the love of his life. He didn't say anything bad about her, in fact he didn't say much about her at all. The only comment I really picked up on was that his son was a good student because of the influence of the first wife. But, I knew a sister in my old ward in Centerville, UT who was married to a spy. The marriage ended in divorce in part because of the stress on the family of a husband who thrived on the clandestine, life-threatening life of a spy. The dissolution of Ramsdell's marriage was a story that I know he didn't want to go into, but I would really be interested in hearing his first wife's side. (Just a thought.)
--Karen
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
Your comment reminds me of writings of my mission president about his time training Iraqis to lead in their country for the reconstruction. This is not a direct quote but rather me remembering what he said. He talked about how no one wanted to take responsibility and take action because under the old regime that person would have been first to the chopping block. So they ended up with money not getting to where it was supposed to go(it wasn't misused it just didn't get taken out and used at all) because people were afraid to do their jobs. The legacy of a decades of dictatorship is hard to erase and change. It doesn't just happen over night.
Here's the direct story from his e-mail:
have been fighting for six weeks to get the Ministry of Finance in Baghdad to release the current budget to the local government departments. I finally went up to the Ministry in Baghdad and tried again to get the permission. The Minister said there were still some things that had to be done before the money could be disbursed. I was so frustrated and I went to the US representative in the Ministry of Finance to share my frustration. When he heard my story, he went back to the minister and ordered him to release the money for the local departments. He immediately wrote the letter and I then took it back to the governorates in my area and sent a copy of this letter to all regional chiefs of RTI throughout Iraq.
For the first time in over two months, all the local departments (health, education, sewage, water, roads, trade, communication, and many others) will have the money they need to help the people. I introduced to all the departments the "No Decision Rule" of the old regime. Never make a decision, because it might be wrong and you will be shot. The best way for a bureaucratic to stay alive was to never make a decision. The new rule is always make decisions and the people will bless you. It is hard to get bureaucrats to use the second rule, rather than the first rule. I finally have found a few with some courage. So today was a very successful day. I will sleep well to night. (smile)
More of his e-mails can be found in this article:
http://www.meridianmagazine.com/exstories/040324iraq.html
Great post! I haven't posted yet because I just want to "ditto" you and Katie's posts. I really enjoyed the book and the history and the stories.
You are right, hearing the 1st wife's side of it all would make a dramatic story in and of itself.
Danielle,
Thanks for the connection to Iraq and the comparison of life after living under ANY totalitarian government! I am looking forward to reading more of your mission president's Iraq experiences in Meridian Magazine. I am just finishing my Middle East unit in Social Studies and I am sure I will gain a lot from his insights. Thanks again.
--Karen S.
Thanks. My Mission President wrote a book about his experiences in context with the history of the area. I haven't read it personally though I want to read it someday. I know you can find the book on Amazon. He is an amazing man.
Post a Comment