News

Local View: Even vodka abandoning Russia over its brutal invasion of Ukraine

From the column: Perhaps the most prominent, made-in-Latvia Stoli Vodka, "will be undergoing a redo to get rid of any connection to Russia."

By John Freivalds

Published 4/18/2022

Duluth News Tribune

Much has been written and said about the 500-plus — and counting — Western firms that have left Russia because of its beyond-brutal invasion of Ukraine. McDonald’s, Starbucks, BMW, Ford, Apple, and others have left while others like Cargill have stayed but announced its decision “to scale back its business activities in Russia and stop investment there.”

In Russia, ‘Yes, I can!’ is now, sadly, ‘No, I won’t!’

John Freivalds

Local View

When Carlson Group was building the Radisson Daugava Hotel in Riga, Latvia, in the early 1990s — the first five-star hotel and biggest in the Baltics — the company had to figure out who would manage it. Chosen was Art Krieger, a hulking 6-foot-4 Canadian who also opened and managed Radisson hotels for the Carlson Group in Australia; Sochi, Russia; St. Paul; Beijing; and Baltimore.

Putin: Make Russia Grate Again

By John Freivalds

Published-TBD

I really can’t believe the ongoing naiveté of past American leaders dealing with Vladimir Putin who just invaded yet another part of Ukraine. Former President Bush told us he could look into Putin’s eyes and see his soul, Hillary Clinton brought out a red button and said she would reset US -Russian relations, former President Obama lamented being against Russia is just rekindling the cold war while former President Trump called Putin to congratulate him on his last election victory. (Editor note: Putin had jailed his opponents and the controlled Russian media would’ report any negative news about him). And then a Fox news personality chimed in that the US should support Russia and not Ukraine. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu asserted that “Russia can’t afford to lose the information war” against the West. It certainly doesn’t hurt to have a major media personality broadcasting propaganda that benefits Moscow directly to millions of Americans.

US in danger of becoming latest empire to implode, fall

John Freivalds

Published January 18^th, 2022

Duluth News Tribune

The implosion of the U.S. has begun.

What a comment to start 2022. However, throughout history, great empires always — always — come and go, fall and fail: the Roman, the Ottoman, the Russian, the British, and now the U.S. in its present form among them. And no, sorry, we can’t be made great again by wearing red hats.

As that nameless, learned medieval English poet wrote: “Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the king’s horses and all the king’s men couldn’t put Humpty Dumpty together again.”

Local View: The US a model for the world — of intolerance

By John Freivalds

Published 12/14/21

Duluth News Tribune

We like to regard our country as a shining, welcoming light on the hill, beaming out “love between our brothers and our sisters,” as Peter, Paul and Mary sang in “If I Had a Hammer.” We like to point to the positive politicians we have had: Martin Sabo, Hubert Humphrey, Walter Mondale, and, yes, Arne Carlson and Bob Dole.