On the morning of Saturday September 19, I awoke to the awful news that Professor Stephen F. Cohen, a man I greatly admired, had passed away the day before. The news hit me like a ton of bricks and I couldn't breathe for a few minutes. Although I had never personally met or corresponded with Professor Cohen, I still felt as if I had lost a teacher and a mentor. It was because of him that I woke up to the reality of what was happening between the United States and Russia. It was because of him that I was inspired to start writing this blog, to do my part in advocating for peace and sanity in an insane world.
Professor Cohen has long advocated for rationality between the two countries. During the Cold War he frequently advised Ronald Reagan on his dealings with the Soviets and was a regular guest on the nightly news where he was praised for his views and expertise on the Soviet Union. In recent years, he was only invited onto mainstream media if he could be paired against someone who made fun of him and hurled insults at him, calling him names like "Putin apologist", "Kremlin stooge" and "Putin's puppet". Professor Cohen came from a time when it was okay to love Russia and to advocate for a better relationship, to tell the government they were wrong and they needed to change their strategy. His day ended in a time where it was no longer okay to say those things, a time when the mainstream media chose to present propagandists as analysts rather than actual experts. It's not inconceivable that this stress and mass delusion in society may have contributed to his death.
In recent days the persistent thought occurred to me to email Professor Cohen and thank him for the stance he took and for remaining strong in his convictions in spite of the criticisms from less learned individuals. I wanted to thank him for inspiring me to write when I knew I needed to do something but didn't know what to do. I never sent that email, a regret that I will carry with me for a very long time.
Matthew 5:9 says "Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God." Professor Cohen was truly one of the great peacemakers, worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize, and whether he knew it or not he devoted his life to doing the work of God. With his passing the world feels a little darker, a little colder, a lot less intellectual and a whole lot scarier. All we can do now is carry on the torch and keep fighting the good fight.
Rest in peace, Professor Cohen.
And thank you.
Links:
"Stephen Cohen Has Died; Remember His Urgent Warnings Against the New Cold War" by Caitlin Johnstone: https://consortiumnews.com/2020/09/20/stephen-cohen-has-died-remember-his-urgent-warnings-against-the-new-cold-war/
"We Have Lost a Real Giant (Stephen F. Cohen Has Died)!" by The Saker: http://thesaker.is/we-have-lost-a-real-giant-stephen-f-cohen-has-passed-away/
"Rethinking Putin: A Talk by Professor Stephen F. Cohen": https://www.thenation.com/article/rethinking-putin-a-talk-by-professor-stephen-f-cohen/
"Nuclear Crisis: How America Lost Post-Soviet Russia":