Mark Almond is lecturer in modern history at Oriel College, Oxford. His interests focus on nineteenth- and twentieth-century central-eastern Europe. He is author of several books on European history, including a biography of Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu, a study of the Bosnian war in its historical context, and many essays and articles.

Well, so far, so good. Recently he wrote for the Guardian (UK) on the situation in Ukraine. Read"The price of People Power"here. In response the former Solidarity adviser and Polish foreign minister Bronislaw Geremek wrote what I thought was a not very convincing rebuttal here. Almond has also received criticism for his association with the British Helsinki Human Rights Group.

I don't have a vested interest in either Mark Almond or the BHHRG, I'm interested in learning more about both, and I could be persuaded to place one or other or both on my black list. That said, I find quite persuasive their skepticism about the U.S. and the EU in promoting"democracy" in former Communist Europe. After all, why shouldn't we expect states--even"our" states--to behave like states usually do?