In this case it seems they're going off the definition of: jerk or jolt (someone or something) suddenly, typically so as to cause injury.
Whiplash is referring to a time when something changes suddenly (in the case of a car accident, your head jerks suddenly in another direction).
When the author says "We are in a whiplash moment right now" they mean that we are living in a time where the US relations with Russia had suddenly changed (or jerked in another direction). Under the current/old administration of the US, Russian-US relations were relatively rocky, however with Donald Trump it seems they'll be much friendlier.
In short, a whiplash is used in this case to describe a sudden change. The article is referring to the whiplash moment we are living in as the period of this change.
As time passed.. could be 'over time' as in
'over time, Bob and Daisy got to know each other...'
How about being more specific but evoking time passing in your writing - like 'during the Fall Semester...' where previously you had let us know we were in Spring, perhaps by having earlier mentioned the smell of Spring flowers in the grass. Or you could be more poetic like,
‘Bob kicked the fallen leaves with his foot restlessly as he turned to Daisy on the park bench.. “Daisy...” ’
You could say:
- as Winter turned to Spring...
- ‘As the nights became colder’ or ‘began to draw in’
- As the trees began to show their Autumn colours.
- Sitting by a fire, drinking egg nogg
Using the seasons can help you, and, as relationships have their own seasons, might be a fun way for you to position your characters, and their relationship, in time.
Think of Summer, with its tennis, grass, ice-creams, beach, swimming costumes, football games - maybe using events, like the Summer Prom (i.e - any event that we know usually occurs at a certain time of year) or Christmas, to let us know where we are at, in time.
Think about what we wear at different times of year
‘Daisy's pretty floral dress fluttered in the Summer breeze, as Bob...’
If more time passes, your characters can even change themselves - to let us know where we are at in time: As Daisy reached up to kiss Bob, he seemed a little taller, more mature, than when they'd first met 6 months ago...
So what I'm suggesting is that you let us know, creatively, where we are in time, instead of only using expressions, as I think it will be more fun to read - and hopefully, more fun for you to write, too! For, aren't you really asking 'how may I not bore you, the reader, with repetition?' - so, this is how!
Ultimately ‘Daisy turned and saw Bob across the square. His blue eyes were wrinkly now, and a grey streak at his temples gave him an authoritative appearance that was appropriate – for he was now the Dean of the college.’
I hope that you enjoy this, and have lots of fun, writing...
Best Answer
This is purely a question of idiom, not any kind or right or wrong.
For whatever reason, some idioms or dialects use '… your father passing away', some use '… your father's passing' and some '… your father's passing away.'
Strictly speaking 'your father passing away' might mean something like 'the passing away that your father did' while '… your father's passing away' is something like 'the passing away that happened to your father', with which simple '… passing…'is synonymous.
To take it to an extreme most of us might say '… his late father' while a few dialects clearly prefer '… his father, who is late.'
In all those cases what's the difference, outside a textbook?