Today, I begin a series in Impromptus on Belarus, a country that has been brutalized for a long time, but that has been particularly brutalized since December 19: On that day, the dictator, one Aleksandr G. Lukashenko, stole his latest election — and smashed his fist on the people, when they dared protest against him. To see Part I of the series, go here.
Last week, I had the pleasure of lunching with Robert Conquest in Palo Alto. He is the poet, historian, and other things who documented the Soviet Union’s crimes, when many in the Free World did not want to hear about them. He told me that, of all the countries in Europe — not excluding Andorra, Liechtenstein, and San Marino — Belarus is the only one he has not visited. Now is not the time. Later, maybe.