The Russian Quest for Peace and Democracy: Table of Contents

The Russian Quest for Peace and Democracy, by Metta Spencer, published by Lexington Books

Expanded Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION

Did the West contain Communism? Can foreigners influence a country’s policies? Should democrats promote democracy abroad? • Heterogeneous transnational civil society has democratizing effects.

CHAPTER 1: TERMITES AND BARKING DOGS

World Peace Council • Soviet Peace Committee • Political opinion categories: ‘Sheep,’ ‘Dinosaurs,’ ‘Termites,’ and ‘Barking Dogs’ (dissidents) > see web article • Helsinki Accords • Moscow Helsinki Group • refuseniks • Group for Trust • relations among dissident networks

CHAPTER 2: SOCIAL CAPITAL AND IDEOLOGY

Civil society and social capital • Ideology as coercive thinking such as Lysenkoism • Khrushchev’s denunciation of Stalin • the “thaw” • shaping of public opinion • Zhdanov • Kuusinen’s textbook on Marxism-Leninism • Kapitza on ideological causes of Chernobyl • Sheinis on oil industry and environment • Blagovolin’s calculations of US/Soviet military strength • Simonia’s critique of Afghan war • Deliusin’s protection of Alexeyeva • conflict between Termites and Barking Dogs.

CHAPTER 3: TWO SCIENTISTS, TWO PATHS

Peter Kapitza, Termite • Andrei Sakharov, Barking Dog • importance of seeing each other speaking with foreigners

CHAPTER 4: FOREIGN COMMUNISTS

Influence of Eurocommunists on Termites • Institute of Social Sciences • International Communist Movements • Prague Spring • Zdeněk Mlynář > see web article • Problems of Peace and Socialism

CHAPTER 5: THREE FREELANCE DIPLOMATS

Norman Cousins on a mission from Kennedy to Khrushchev and the pope • Jeremy Stone and the ABM Treaty • Ernst van Eeghen, the deployment of Soviet missiles, and the defence of religious freedom

CHAPTER 6: A CIVIL SOCIETY: ELITE BEARS AND DOVES

Comparing peace movements, East and West • Norman Cousins and the Dartmouth Conferences • Lown, Chazov, and the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War

CHAPTER 7: SCIENTISTS AND WEAPONEERS

Pugwash and the ABM Treaty • Millionshchikov and Artsimovich • Velikhov and Sagdeev • Eastern and Western Lobbying for Sakharov • Seismometers in Semipalatinsk • von Hippel and Parliamentarians for Global Order • detecting warheads from a distance

CHAPTER 8: IN THE HANDS OF EXPERTS

New Political Thinking • transfer of ideas • Egon Bahr • Palme Commission • Georgy Arbatov • Sergei Karaganov • Andrei Melville • Peter Gladkov • Johan Galtung and Vladimir Petrovsky • Sergei Blagovolin • reasonable sufficiency • Andrei Kortunov • Non-offensive defence • Boserup • Mendelevich • Gorbachev’s reply • unilateral initiatives • GRIT • John Tirman • Non-Intervention • Randall Forsberg • “Sinatra Doctrine” • Mary Kaldor • Let the Dissidents in!

CHAPTER 9: DO PEACE AND DEMOCRACY WORK?

Gorbachev’s goals • Protect human rights and freedom • Why not thank him? • Peace and Disarmament • Zero Option • INF Treaty • Afghan War • Shakhnazarov and Lindsay Mattison • Shevardnadze’s case • Improve quality of life for Soviet people • price of oil • democratization • Margarita Papandreou’s women • World Order Models Project • the issue of abolishing Article 6 • Gorbachev’s plans to create division of power • “switching on support from below” • from Brezhnev to Sinatra doctrine • Dienstbier’s predictions • did Soviet trucks break down in Leipzig? • keeping Soviet Union intact • separatism • Gorbachev’s turn to the right • Inter-Regional Deputies • Fyodor Burlatsky • invisible coup

CHAPTER 10: THE SOVIET PEACE MOVEMENT AT THE TIME OF THE COUP

Opinions had changed by 1991 • fledgling civil society • the END Convention • Tairov’s Civic Peace • “Peace Through Family” • Golubka • Russian Peace Society • Mothers of Soldiers • Nevada-Semipalatinsk • nationalist groups • Democratic Union • Radical Party • Memorial • Helsinki Citizens Assembly

CHAPTER 11: THE END AND THE BEGINNING

The coup from the right • Yeltsin’s coup from the left • the defection of intellectuals and Termites • Yeltsin and shock therapy • privatization • Grigory Yavlinsky • Burlatsky on the new constitution • the first Chechen War • Julia’s dispatches from the front • military reform • Sergei Rogov • second Chechen War • Yeltsin’s power people vs reformers • Alexander Litvinenko’s allegations of provocations • Sergei Kovalev’s commission • murders of journalists • McFaul’s critique of Putin’s policies

CHAPTER 12: FROM BELOW AND SIDEWAYS

Karatnycky and Ackerman: democratic transitions • “Alexeyeva: “wait in hope” • Dmitri Furman and Russia’s political culture • Likhotal: “the society is still not awakened” • Kovalev: “the west will awaken” • how to assist from “sideways” • changing a political culture through soap operas • nonviolence as a ripple • Ed Garcia • Sumsky and comparison of Filipino and Moscow people power movements • Gandhism in Poland • nonviolence trainings in the Soviet Union • Joan Baez’s concert • 1989 and the toppling of the dominoes in Eastern Europe • the nonviolent defence of Russia’s White House • more ripples in Yugoslavia, Georgia, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan • Otpor: Robert Helvey and Srdja Popović • Pora in Kiev • the prospects for a color revolution in Russia • Oborona • Yuri Dzhibladze’s center for democracy • GONGOs • the Public Chamber • registration of civil society organizations • Andrei Kamenshikov in the Caucasus

CHAPTER 13: SOCIAL TRAPS; TOWARD AND EXPLANATION OF TOTALITARIANISM

Totalitarian situations • illusion of unanimity as a social trap • Kuran: internal and external payoffs • preference falsification • violence may intensify or silence opposition • impossibility of knowing distribution of thresholds • unintended commitment • side bets • “stuck with a story” • Alexander Ulyanov’s loose talk • the Great Leader’s credit rating • Nadezha Mandelstam on the arrival of totalitarianism

CHAPTER 14: QUEST? WHAT QUEST?

Both democracy and nuclear disarmament are required, and the nuclear danger remains present • Public opinion must be engaged • Podvig: Work on improving the relationship • why did democracy promotion fail? • President Clinton’s offenses against Russia’s democratization • Kosovo separatism and its meaning to Russians • Freedom House’s ratings • Obama’s re-set dilemma

CHAPTER 15: CONCLUSION

Does democracy come from above or below? Kovalev adds: and from sideways • need universalistic rules for aiding political causes abroad • but how? • be modest • build trust through truth-telling • support international law • provide assistance for democratic processes and technological support, not specific outcomes • expand transnational civil society • sustained videoconferencing dialogues • Palazhchenko on Gorbachev’s encouragement of grassroots movements • Gorbachev as Czar or Gandhian? • Gorbachev as Mlynář: leader of a Moscow Spring?


The Russian Quest for Peace and Democracy, by Metta Spencer, published by Lexington Books
mspencer@web.net