Vice President Biden travels to Russia, Finland and Moldova. The events in the Arab world should not be termed a “Facebook Revolution,” a panel of media experts warns. And a rare collection of Russian stamps was recently uncovered at the Smithsonian.
Biden’s Europe Trip to Focus on U.S.-Russia “Reset”
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During a during a March trip to Europe, Vice President Biden plans to “take stock” of the reset in relations between the United States and Russia that began after President Obama’s January 2009 inauguration. He also will visit Finland and become the first U.S. vice president to visit Moldova during the trip.
Not a “Facebook Revolution”
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Though social media may have been an important tool for the political upheaval in the Arab world, many media experts say that discussion over its role should not divert attention from the courage being shown by people standing up for their rights. Speaking at a panel on this issue, Michael Nelson, a Georgetown University professor, said, “At the end of the day, the Internet is not causing this revolution, but it is enabling it.”
Photo Gallery: Russian Imperial Stamps
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One of the best collections of Russian stamps in the world was recently found in a storage vault at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Postal Museum. The collection, composed of more than 14,000 Russian stamps, is truly exceptional in terms of its quality and rarity. At right, a rare 1896 design that was rejected because it did not include an image of post horns. The post horn was used throughout Europe to sound the arrival and departure of mail coaches and became the international symbol of mail service. The design ultimately approved for this stamp included the Russian Imperial eagle with thunderbolts across post horns.