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(C) Smirnov seems to have created his own world, a little like
the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland, in which he rules
absolutely and receives little input from the real world. He knows
the old Soviet Union, current-day Russia and little else. In such a
hermetic world, it isn't absurd for Smirnov to suggest that
Transnistria has a beneficial investment climate for American
investors. Smirnov is a charismatic leader, a natural politician.
He has considerable oratorical skills and an easy air of confidence.
One could understand how he could sway an isolated population to
understand the world his way. His lecture to us included banter
about hobbies and humor, but also a pointed question about
U.S.-donated seeds "infecting" TN crops with the "Colorado bug," and
the inadequacy of the U.S. model for Transnistria. The Ambassador's
sharp retort about the health of the donated seeds and our
take-it-or-leave it approach to U.S. assistance shows that Smirnov's
charisma extends only to his population.
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(C) If Smirnov is the Queen of Hearts, Litskai could fulfill the
role of the White Rabbit: long-suffering, put-upon and ever-busy,
his comb-over drooping to his glasses on occasion. He's smart, too,
and has done his homework. He kept his place during Smirnov's
posturing speech to us, speaking only when his "president" allowed
him the floor and expanding upon the points that Smirnov had already
made.
West Asian leaders are white rabbits, the SA onr.s.