45 Comments
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Alex Amonette's avatar

My thoughts and deepest hopes to you for a hugely successful launch! Thank you for everything you do, Dr. Snyder!

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Grover Zinn's avatar

Thank you for this post---and your dedication to Ukraine, its people, institutions, and traditions. Yes, we only know virtually what they experience daily. A brave people, dedicated to freedom and truth. Keep up your dedicated work and writing, Prof. Snyder!!

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Graeme Roberts's avatar

You may make typos on the fly, Dr. Snyder, but your kindness and heroism is only more beautiful. A thousand hugs.

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Naima  (NM)'s avatar

You, Professor Snyder, in your goodheartedness, command all my respect. Thank you.

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John Spence's avatar

Thanks to your writing, Prof Snyder, it is possible for some of us to feel something of the experience of the courageous Ukrainian people. It is an utter shame that so many, especially in the US, seem to be either incapable or unwilling to, first, read about such things, but, even if they did, to translate the words to feelings about what is going on in Ukraine. The unceasing brutality launched and continued at the inspiration of mainly ONE man against 38 million people is horrible in the true sense of that word. That others in the world allow such cruelty to continue is abominable. of course, we must feel some empathy for Donovan's universal soldiers fighting for the Russians although they are really the ones to blame. If it were only so simple as to put down all the guns and walk away, but one must understand that the Ukrainians are fighting for something way beyond the distorted, greedy and cruel wishes of ONE man who could stop it all tomorrow, IF it is correctly portrayed by the media. Everyday I wonder how deep the perversion is amongst the Russian people.

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Raul's avatar

I read, kept and also gifted a copy of the first On Freedom. Can’t wait for the new one. You’re a voice of sanity in insane times. Keep up the good work.

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Porter's avatar

I really appreciate this column on releasing your book in Kharkiv.

Unfortunately, many Americans don't seem to realize that Russian attacks by air are designed to destroy as many human lives as possible, not only to make Ukrainians as miserable as possible and thereby susceptible to ceding land to Putin to make it all stop, but to destroy all that makes Ukraine Ukraine.

Putin seems to have no regard for human life, whether Ukrainian or Russian; the word for that type of person is "psychopath". So the Ukrainian people, as well as the peoples of the Atlantic Alliance and NATO, are dealing with a genocidal psychopath, something which should not be forgotten once realized.

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Grover Zinn's avatar

Well-said! However, for Putin I'd make it "has not regard for human life". A true force of Evil.

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Porter's avatar

Definitely!

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Jamae's avatar

“eliminating a culture, making it untenable…”. that sentence you wrote could easily apply to our situation in the US. The great effort and energy from MAGA to foment violence and block the will of the people.

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SPW's avatar

You’ve saved my having to say the same thing. It’s unfortunate that more people can’t seem to realize the mental and cultural damage being done under our noses my all the hate-filled flying monkeys that is the trump/vance(story creator)campaign.

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David Richardson's avatar

You speak and write in the "first person," that matters to me. The meaning of the word FREEDOM needs to be clarified in the American mind. Thanks in advance for your effort. Reading your post today made me think of what the word freedom means in Ukraine and what it means to me. I'm not compelled to dive under a desk or run to a basement; I'm FREE! Thanks for explaining that to me. You made me THINK!

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Fay Reid's avatar

Thank you Dr. Snyder, I'm glad you'll be home safe. Those poor Ukrainians, they have been so courageous and brave, we need to do everything within our power to defeat Putin. Someone needs to assassinate that evil man

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Daniel Streeter, Jr's avatar

The classic Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong song "War", so passionately sung by Edwin Starr resonates today in Ukraine. "Ain't nothing but a heartbreaker, good only for the undertaker!"

That these strong and deeply courageous people can mine the depths of their spirits and culture in the midst of Putin's genocidal war as you describe is nothing short of a magnificent example of human beauty

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BARRY GANDER's avatar

Looking forward to reading and reviewing! Thank you so much!

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Harriet Hall's avatar

Your book came today. It looks beautiful and I am so excited to read it! Congrats on the good kind of launch!!!!

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Mark Huber, Redmond OR's avatar

Thank you for your comments from Ukraine. Safe travels. Hope I will see you in the Windy City next month.

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Brian Kelly's avatar

Looking forward to another one of your books. I pre-ordered the day it was announced and now Amazon says I'll have it by tomorrow. I'll be on the lookout for you on Rachel Maddow's show.

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Good thoughts's avatar

“Words make their way through the world with us, changing their senses as we change our lives.”

I asked my library to purchase On Freedom” to add to their collection of your books. They ordered two copies in anticipation of our community’s demand. I just ordered my own copy so I can write my questions and ideas in the margins.

In The Reconstruction of Nations you explain and explore with the reader the importance of language to the development and the lastingness of nations. How even nations that had less printed versions rose when the printing press and translation were available to claim their rich history through time. Language whether written or spoken led to freedom.

I resonate with this, it is freedom, that underlies our innermost motivations, whether they be good or evil, freedom for all or just a fraction of us.

Thank you, Dr Snyder!! I look forward to watching you with Rachael tonight and having my very own copy to read slowly and at times out loud. You have changed many lives for the better.

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