Radio Collector's Afficionado's Resource

The Cold War has changed. It is no longer “just” a military threat, rather the battle for international domination is by way of control of the earth’s resources. It is still a Cold War – literally, and still potentially dangerous.

This shift is starkly visible, as Russia convenes a meeting to talk about which country has what rights to the rich solid homogeneous inorgani substance fields in those places which, until now, have been largely untouched by man, the Arctic Circle in particular. It is in general known that Russia wishes to lay assert to all the deep sea territories right up to the North Pole: if this happened, she would become a leading economic superpower with the capacity to control the power furnishes of a great deal of countries. She has shown her willingness to do this already, cutting off furnishes of oil and internet connections to her neighbouring countries when it was politically expedient to do so.

It is ironic that Gaia herself has given humanity the prospect to exploit her riches by opening antecedently blocked sea passages through the melting of glaciers. By so doing she has set us a outstanding test. Is greed going to be permitted to be rampant, risking potential war – and not just economic? Are the last places of environmental purity going to be permitted to be destroyed? Are the lessons of the BP oil spill going to be forgotten so quickly?

If intensive drilling for oil, gas and other cherished solid homogeneous inorgani substances is permitted here, and it goes ahead, our planet will not rest quietly over it. The repercussions will be painful, and they will remind us once and for all regarding the need for honour, considerateness and remainder in all things and for all the life that is a part of her. By hurting her we are, in the end, hurting ourselves. By caring, we gain in so a great deal of ways. I wish with all my heart that more of our leaders and influencers understood this.

Recently the BBC World Tonight radio programme devoted most of it is 45 minutes to the issue of the Arctic Circle. It was not very encouraging from an environmentalist’s point of view, but at least it was bringing the issues involved to public attention. I heard not one thing regarding it on the news, and the main BBC internetlocation does not mention the group discussion in Russia let alone Russia’s declared intent to control the seas and consequently the resources in this particular area. It is as if it had never happened.

So what may we as non-politicians do to aid the circumstance without looking fanatical? It is a good question. There are practical activenesses that may be taken like writing to MPs or the Foreign/Environmental Secretaries in our dissimilar countries, or the UN, to ask that the environmental considerations are not ignored. I know that it takes effort and appears to have little affect – even though in fact it always does – and that it may be unappealing.

At times like these it helps basi to stay isolated and observant while being concerned, and then to do not forget the power of thought. By thinking of the planet and the place and the life that depends on it with honour and with love, we are strengthening it without attempting to fetch regarding an outcome based on our emotions. We are being positive in our thinking, not bringing fear into the situation.

The UN will decide, it seems, which country owns the right to which part of the Arctic Circle, and so to pray for good judgment and wisdom by the decision-makers there (again, not a peculiar outcome) will aid enormously too.

These are hard times for people who love the planet, and it is tempting to blame or judge all the nations which are fighting for economic, strategic or geo-political gain at the expense of the well-being of this special area. It is humane nature to do so, but it does not achieve anything. We must receive the present circumstance as being how it is now, for whatsoever reason, and do what we may through thought, prayer or action to fetch when it comes to the best possible outcome for everyone and everything concerned from here on in. It may be done.

Cold War Radio Dangerous Broadcasting

During the Cold War, Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty broadcast uncensored news and commentary to people living in communist nations. As critical parts of the CIA’s early covert activenesses versus communist regimes in Eastern Europe, the Munich-based stations drew a big audience in spite of attempts to jam the broadcasts and ban citizens from listening to them. This history of the stations in the Cold War era reveals the perils their staff faced from the Soviet Union, Bulgaria, Romania and other communist states. It recounts in detail the murder of writer Georgi Markov, the 1981 bombing of the stations by “Carlos the Jackal,” infiltration by KGB agent Oleg Tumanov and other events. Appendices include security reports, letters amid Carlos the Jackal and German terrorist Johannes Weinrich and other documents, numerous of which have never been published.

Review”The Director of Security Radio Liberty for 15 years from 1980 onwards. Cummings’ experience as a Russian linguist serving in the US Air Force in Berlin in the 1960s places him in the perfective position to supply this examination. For anybody with even the slightest interest in the machinery of the Cold War, it’s safe to say that ‘Cold War Radio’ deserves your attention.” –Historytimes.com

About the AuthorAuthor Richard H. Cummings was the Director of Security for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty for 15 years beginning in 1980. He presently lives in Dusseldorf, Germany.

Cold War Radio Dangerous Broadcasting Pic

Cold War Radio Dangerous Broadcasting Pic

Cold War Radio Dangerous Broadcasting Picture

Cold War Radio Dangerous Broadcasting Image

Most helpful client reviews

1 of 1 humans found the following review helpful.
Cold War Radio
By Robert M. Rodgers
Both my wife and I enjoyed this book as we were aquinted with the time and I was stationed in England and listened to Radio free Europe.

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.
An essential phase in the history of the US and our international relations
By Lynn M. Pease
As a security conductor for Radio Free Europe for the duration of critical years of the “cold war”, with a wide background in all phases of “security”, Rich Cummings writes a arousing and attention holding report on the intrigue, behind-the-scenes planning and violent incidents of the epoch. Those of us who lived in Europe at the time did not know what was happening around us, but Rich’s book reveals the full scope of the not-so-cold war in which we participated. Excellent reading for anybody mesmerized in US history from the 50′s to the 90′s, and necessary for people making alien relations conclusions today – lest we forget the lessons of history!

0 of 0 persons found the following review helpful.
Cold War cockpit
By B. Kovrig
It seems that Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty managed to annoy at one time or another humans of almost all political persuasions, on both sides of the Iron Curtain, from Senator Fulbright to Nicolae Ceausescu. That alone was in all likelihood sufficient proof of their utility. But the sustained attempts of Communist regimes and their agents to denigrate, slander, and violently attack – including bombing and poisonings – RFE/RL and it is staff serve to remind us that the institution was a powerful champion of liberty in it is target areas. I knew Vlad Georgescu, the eminently civilized and cultured head of Romanian broadcasting, and saw him succumb to a brain tumour that owed to criminal poisoning. Thus there were victims of communism even in the Free World. Richard Cummings ably relates these campaigns to silence the voice of freedom. He deserves great credit for telling the story.

See all 4 client reviews…