General

Members of the Schiller Institute NYC Chorus and the Bayonne, NJ Fire Department held the fourth memorial on Monday, December 28, for the 64 members of Russia’s Red Army Chorus, and the others, including journalists and beloved relief doctor Elisabeta Glinka, who perished when their plane crashed into the Black Sea, shortly after take off on December 25th, 2016.

The event this year was small, due to COVID restrictions, limiting participation to 24 people, which included Dmitry Chumakov, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the UN, Captain Donald Haiber of the Bayonne Fire Department and his honor guard, John Sigerson, Vice President of the Schiller Institute, members of the chorus, and two Russian press.

Captain Haiber officiated.  After the American and Russian anthems were sung, Mr. Chumakov spoke about how deeply grateful he and his colleagues are to see the empathetic response for the American people for the tragedy which occurred 4 years ago.  He said that the fact that we have persevered for four years indicates the strength of the friendship and that those people will never be forgotten.

This resonated with Capt. Haiber, who also spoke about 9/11, and how much the gift from Russia of the Memorial meant to the American people in that dark hour.

John Sigerson spoke on the theme of the “best of all possible worlds” where, as in the Brahms Naenie, meanness and ugliness will go down to oblivion.

Helga’s very beautiful and strong message was read by Diane Sare. 

Greetings to the Memorial for The Alexandrov Ensemble of Song and Dance

by Helga Zepp-LaRouche, President of the International Schiller Institute

The world must never forget the 92 plane passengers, including the 64 heroic members of the Alexandrov Ensemble whose tragic death occurred in a plane crash four years ago as they were on their way to Syria to support the Russian Army who itself was on a mission to undo the consequences of an interventionist war. Because it is the message of beauty and solidarity the Alexandrov Ensemble stands for, which gives the hope, that the present awful relationship which exists presently among too many nations in the world can be replaced by a better one.

The four years which have passed since the tragedy occurred, have seen an avalanche of accusations against Russia, including several years of “Russiagate“ designed only to prevent a decent relation between the US and Russia, which all were based on lies, intrigues and manipulations. While not a shred of evidence could be produced, and many of these allegations have disappeared without any ado, that is not preventing the same circles to try to defame Russia again and again. What is the aim of all of this?

It is high time that we use the words of the Ninth Symphony of Beethoven: “Oh Freunde, nicht diese Töne, lasst uns angenehmere anstimmen, und freudenvollere!“O friends, no more these sounds!! Let us sing more cheerful songs, more full of joy!

Let us work in the still ongoing Beethoven Year, which has now been extended due to the Covid-19 pandemic, to elevate the relationship between the US and Russia to the spirit of the memory of the Alexandrov Memorial and that symphony, and proceed with the intention of Schiller and Beethoven expressed in the “Ode to Joy“: “Alle Menschen werden Brüder“, “All Men become Brethren“ and find a way to address the common aims of mankind.

`The Best of All Possible Worlds’

Address by John Sigerson, Schiller Institute Vice-President, on the occasion of the fourth annual memorial service for the Alexandrov Ensemble, December 28, 2020, at the Teardrop Memorial, Bayonne, New Jersey, USA.

As we gather here today, four short, tumultuous years after the tragic loss of the the gifted musicians of the Alexandrov Ensemble, along with journalists, military people, a beloved relief doctor, and crew, 92 in all, on their way on a mission of mercy and assistance to the people of Syria, I’m reminded of how thankful we should be that indeed, we live in the best of all possible worlds!

But how can anyone possibly assert that we’re in the best of all possible worlds, in the face of the man-made disasters that have befallen us, especially since the horrors of Sept. 11, 2001 which this teardrop memorializes, and since the terrible ensuing geopolitical wars, based on lies and deceit, which not only engulfed those wonderful musicians, but has thrown entire nations into chaos and misery? How can we assert this now, at the end of this annus horribilis, this awful year, bringing with it a deadly pandemic, along with starvation now threatening to snuff out the lives of 270 million of our fellow men, women, and children?

Yes, we can assert this, if we consider the following: Imagine a world where the deaths of 92 human beings, or even of 270 millions, is a good thing, something to be desired. And imagine a world where memorials such as this one, remembering and honoring those who perished, are of no consequence. Imagine a world in which friendship among nations is a fool’s errand, and where mutual suspicion and hostility is the most desirable condition among men, and among nations.

Now, such a world may exist in the crippled imaginations of some misguided individuals and institutions on our planet; it is, however, scientifically, demonstrably the case, that it is not the real world. Their world is an imaginary, dead world, a bestial world; whereas the real Universe is characterized by life, by development, and by what the American Founding Fathers termed “the pursuit of happiness.” Ours is a Universe which joyfully responds whenever we have discovered a new wonderful principle of its operations. It is also a just world, where we can be confident that meanness and ugliness will, in the grand course of history, inevitably go down to oblivion, as the German poet Friedrich Schiller wrote in his poem Nänie, set to music so beautifully by Johannes Brahms, which the Schiller Institute NYC Chorus performed at Carnegie Hall just one year ago.

Let us therefore rejoice, with all solemnity, that our tribute here to the 92 souls, and to all kindred souls who are now walking among the stars, will help to strengthen bonds of friendship, trust, and mutual assistance, not only between our two nations, Russia and the United States, but among all men and all nations of goodwill. For as Schiller also said in that same poem, even a song of lament on the lips of the beloved, is truly great and magnificent.

Remarks by Mr. Dmitry Chumakov, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations, at the Memorial Wreath Laying Ceremony in honour of the Alexandrov Ensemble and other victims who perished at Christmas, 2016

Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear friends, 

Today is the fourth time we get together to honor the memory of the victims of a plane crash that took place in the skies over Sochi on 25 December 2016. Back then we lost almost all members of Alexandrov Ensemble; Ms. Elizaveta Glinka – a renowned philanthropist and humanitarian worker; as well as journalists from Russia’s leading Media outlets. 

I would like to express our deep appreciation to the Schiller Institute and the Fire Department of Bayonne. Annual meetings like this one have become our good tradition, which makes them all the more significant. We commend the efforts of American community to preserve the memory of those outstanding Russian musicians and luminaries in the United States. This year even the coronavirus pandemic could not stop us from gathering here. 

Solidarity and mutual help are especially needed today, when the humanity has faced an unprecedented threat – COVID-19 pandemic. For the sake of our common future, peoples and states of the world need to erase all dividing lines, and channel their creative forces to articulating a joint response to this global challenge. 

Russia and the United States, as two Permanent Members of the Security Council, bear special responsibility for sustaining global peace and security. In this context, it is of principal importance that the people of our two countries maintain most cordial relations and promote inter-state ties at the civil society level. 

This is why it widely resonates in our hearts that American people empathize with our loss and grieve along with us. 

May the memory of the deceased heroes live forever. The hope and the light that they conveyed to the world will perpetuate in the souls of those who admired their talent and dedication both in Russia and in the United States. 

Thank you.

A lengthy report in the New York Times underlines the absolutely disastrous situation facing Africa as it is hit with what is described as the “second wave” of the epidemic. During the last few months, it was generally reported that the epidemic was not as serious In Africa as what we have experienced in the U.S. and in Europe, although the dearth  of statistics and information coming from some parts of the continent may have caused a good deal of scepticism over these claims. And it’s very possible that many cases simply went undetected. But now the disaster is at hand – and readily apparent.

The report is authored by Sheri Fink, a NYT reporter who has written extensively on health and medicine and covered the Ebola crisis. In South Africa, the epidemic is spreading from Port Elizabeth to the entire country. Nigeria, Mali, and Uganda recorded their highest daily death count in the year. In South Africa, they admit that they really don’t know how many people have died from COVID. One government analysis shows that more than twice as many excess deaths simply could not be explained by the number of confirmed COVID cases. ““We don’t know what the real number is,” said Dr. John Black, the only infectious disease specialist for adults in Port Elizabeth.

The greatest number of COVID cases and deaths has been in South Africa, where the hospital system has been stretched beyond its limits. This includes cases which are suspected of being of the new mutated variety now found in Great Britain.

At the beginning of the epidemic early in the year, the African countries had instituted strong restrictive measures and lockdowns, but the measures proved to be so economically problematic that they began to ease up. South Africa brought in 200 physicians from Cuba, medical staff from Doctors Without Borders and scientists from the W.H.O. By late August, the numbers had dropped.

But the closed borders and canceled flights also prevented the rapid supply of equipment and outside experts to help in the fight. In Somalia, some areas were not reporting any cases at all. And investigations in areas controlled by the Shabab terrorist group, when they could be conducted, showed a rampant spread of the epidemic.

Even in hospitals in South Africa, which is probably the best equipped of all sub-Saharan African countries to deal with the crisis, the system has been swamped. And doctors have found it necessary to triage in the case of the limited ventilators and other equipment for the more serious cases, often prioritizing the younger candidates who are more likely to recover and live long lives rather than the elderly.

And the other dilemma that will  be faced as a vaccine is developed is getting it to Africans, and conducting mass vaccinations. Here also, the report notes there is “vaccine scepticism”  among many people as we also experience in the West. And many people still view COVID as a disease that Westerners get, and is not a threat to Africans. And the logistics of a mass vaccination on the African continent is absolutely daunting.  With the intense competition among countries to obtain vaccines from the various producers, African countries are not high on the priority list. Only China has promised that they would prioritize developing countries for their vaccine. But only a concerted effort  from the outside, and with the help of military-style logistics of a country  the size of the United States or China could accomplish the goal of getting vaccines to those in need in Africa quickly enough to avoid a total disaster.

In her weekly dialogue, Schiller Institute Founder Helga Zepp-LaRouche evoked the principle of statecraft as developed by Friedrich Schiller as the means by which the present dominant global paradigm can be swept away. She reviewed how that paradigm is threatened by a systemic collapse, but as long as the method of the thinking imposed by the oligarchy remains hegemonic, we face a worsening world situation of pandemics, famine and war.

The alternative requires a new idea of politics, in which citizens elevate the quality of thinking to a new level. Zepp-LaRouche said that Schiller provided the means to achieve this, in his Aesthetical Letters, in which he argues that “true political freedom is the highest form of art.” In the battles ahead, including that of reversing the election theft of the 2020 election, the defense of the ideals of a constitutional republic requires that citizens come to distinguish between the real enemies of the U.S., centered in the City of London, and potential allies, such as Russia and China.

She concluded by urging that to accomplish this essential goal of elevating the level of thinking of the citizenry, the “Beethoven Year” should be extended, until a majority of people are able to “Think like Beethoven.”

Aug. 31, 2018 –Chinese President Xi Jinpig sent a letter in reply to professors at China’s Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA) on the occasion of CAFA’s celebrations of its centennial, in which he stressed the importance of “aesthetical education” for the development of the individual and society. Xinhua reported this in its lead news story this morning. Xi’s letter stressed the importance of “strengthening aesthetic education to ensure the healthy growth of the country’s youth, both physically and mentally…. Noting that aesthetic education plays an important role in shaping a more beautiful mind, Xi said that it is necessary to improve it,” Xinhua reported.

CAFA is China’s first modern school specializing in fine arts, founded by “renowned Chinese educator Cai Yuanpei” in 1918, the news agency reported. The eight senior professors had written the President on the subject of aesthetical education. In his answer, Xi called on CAFA to “implement the CPC’s education policy to foster students with love and create great works of art,” Xinhua said.

Schiller Institute founder Helga Zepp-LaRouche responded with great happiness today to this report that President Xi had endorsed the ideas of the German classical poet Friedrich Schiller, for whom the Schiller Institute is named. One of Schiller’s most profound works is entitled “Letters On the Aesthetical Education of Man.”

Join us LIVE at 2pm EST. Today’s meeting will feature Dennis Speed, Diane Sare and Matthew Ogden.

As the drumbeat for war grows louder, and the near-misses in the air and near-collisions at sea more numerous, it is more urgent than ever that a summit of major powers happen, as soon as possible. The escalation in rhetoric against Russia and Putin over the narrative being spread about the Navalny “poisoning” — being spread with the usual help of Britain’s Porton Down chemical warfare center and the British-directed media — may have been the deciding factor in Putin’s decision to not attend the UNGA in New York this month.

The exposure of a coup faction among retired military, by former JAG officer Col. Richard Black at last weekend’s Schiller Institute (SI) conference, is reverberating widely, as it reflects the view of patriotic military officials who reject the idea of a coup against Trump. The President himself, in his Labor Day press conference, drew attention to the role of the war party, referring to Eisenhower’s warning about the Military Industrial Complex, and the decision announced on Wednesday to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq demonstrates his intent to move on his pledge to end the “endless wars.”

In discussing this dangerous strategic situation, Helga Zepp-LaRouche urged viewers to use the video proceedings of the SI conference to elevate the level of dialogue in the population. The question that must be posed is, “Do you want war or peace?” If you want peace, join our mobilization to ensure a summit takes place BEFORE the election, as it will become more difficult as time passes, especially as the war party is building for a full-fledged constitutional crisis around the election.