From Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1821-1881), Russian author:
This is my last message to you: in sorrow, seek happiness.
The Brothers Karamazov
Sorrow, suffering, and salvation are important themes in Dostoyevsky’s works, as they are in Russian history. If one wants to attain some understanding of Russia, Dostoyevsky is not a bad place to start. Like Melville, few fully comprehend him on the first go. SLL has a gnawing suspicion that acquiring better understandings of both Russia and China will be a worthwhile endeavors, sooner rather than later. It may be more fruitful than all the expertise and insight that many commentators purport to have acquired about the Islamic religion. Another gnawing suspicion: Russia and China will turn out to be far more inimical to what the US government defines as American “interests” than Islamic extremism. Stay tuned.
