JOHN VAROLI—What’s most shocking and perplexing, however, are those colleagues who don’t merely remain silent, but rather, vigorously join in the persecution of dissenters. I suspect this is because we are reminders of their own cowardice and betrayal.
And so it transpired last week that an old journalist friend reached out to me. His goal was to shame me for being skeptical of Big Brother’s narrative on Russia. Even though I have a university degree in the study of Russia and Ukraine, as well as 30 years work experience with both countries, my research and opinions make him uneasy.
I thought long and hard about doing this, and then decided to do it. Below you’ll find our correspondence. I take privacy very seriously and always protect the identity of my sources and companions. So, to protect his privacy, let’s call him “S”.
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