This piece was reprinted by OpEd News with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source.
President Jacob Zuma visits China to attend the G20 Summit, 3-5 Sep 2016
(Image by GovernmentZA from flickr) Details DMCA
Russian President Vladimir V. Putin and I have something in common. My big brother, Joe-Ray, died during the World War II. Unlike Putin's big brother, though, mine was done in by meningitis - not by the Germans.
Putin's brother Viktor died during the 872-day German blockade of Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) from Sept. 1941 to Jan. 1944). It was the most lethal siege in history. The grief in our home after Joe-Ray's slow, painful death was palpable, but my parents could at least visit him in the hospital; and I know where he is buried.
Putin's parents were deprived of even those small things: 1 year-old Viktor was taken from them to join other infants/children whose families could not feed them. Yes, a draconian measure, but their best chance to survive the siege.
Putin described the circumstances in unusually personal comments ten years ago:
"My parents told me that children were taken from their families in 1941, and my mother had a child taken from her - with the goal of saving him." Putin's remarks came at an annual wreath-laying at the enormous cemetery in St. Petersburg, where 470,000 lie buried in mass graves. Referring to Viktor, Putin added: "They said he had died, but they never said where he was buried."
In the book "First Person," Putin wrote that his mother had been so close to starvation that she lost consciousness and "they laid her out with the corpses" until someone heard her moaning. His father, hospitalized with war wounds, set aside his rations to feed her. Vladimir was born years later, on Oct. 7, 1952 in Leningrad.
Absent Big Brothers
This unusual "foreword" is an attempt to provide some sense of how if feels to grow up without a big brother to help protect you - Putin on the streets of Leningrad, I on the streets of the Bronx. The point here is that, even as a statesman, Putin has been way out there, alone, without demonstrably strong support - until now. With apologies to the State Farm PR people: "Like a good neighbor, Xi Jinping is there". (Needless to say, "Big Brother" in this context has nothing to do with George Orwell.)
Solidarity between Putin and Xi was what both wanted to underscore at their meeting on Dec. 15. It was hard to miss, but there are still some troglodytes around who see China and Russia more as enemies than friends.
He Who Has Eyes to See "
The sum and substance of what Russia and China decided to demonstrate at the Putin-Xi virtual summit on Dec. 15 shines through the video of the highly scripted first minute of their conversation. This segment apparently is the only video portion released so far; it was picked up by the NY Times, as well as other outlets. Still, most commentators seemed to miss its significance, even though the video included subtitles (and lots of body language) for anyone truly interested.
Please click on the segment, or read the transcript (from the subtitles):
Putin: "Dear friend, dear President Xi Jinping.
Next February I expect we can finally meet in person in Beijing as we have agreed. We will hold talks and then participate in the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games. I am grateful for your invitation to attend this landmark event."
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
3
3
1
