Real life in Russia

Good to see the above mentioned WSJ article presented at SL.

As I’d noted to others:

Perhaps Gary Kasparov’s WSJ act is tiring.

As I’ve previously noted, the American mass media propping of Kasparov kind of reminds me of the days when Soviet media would promote the American views of Gus Hall and Angela Davis. Some don’t seem to realize or don’t care that their own preferences don’t always conform with reality.

Let’s see how such reporting/commentary plays out in the future. The propaganda of Soviet media sucked because it was so one sided. Some of the English language mass media propaganda is more believable because of the periodic lucid reporting/commentary blended in with the absurd. In the present, there’s a realization among some in the West that Russia isn’t an inherent threat to the West and has been earnestly seeking a mutually beneficial relationship. There was venomous Russia bashing during the first wave of NATO expansion when Russia was tame. Russia really made it a point to reach out to America immediately following the 911 tragedy. Russia’s clumsy involvement in the 2004 Ukrainian presidential election was in reply to the political missionary work of some Western (particularly) American NGOs.

*****

A private message I received which concerns The WSJ and Kasparov:

Dear Mr Henninger,

Your praise of Gary Kasparov and the description of him as a “dissident”is an insult to real dissidents of the Soviet era, as well as contemporary dissidents now risking their lives in countries such as Burma, Cuba or Zimbabwe.

To describe a wealthy and well-connected person, who is free to travel in and out of the country, publish anything he wants and hold public
demonstrations (subject to approval by the authorities, as is the norm in any other democracy) a “dissident” is a travesty.

(Please note that alternative locations were offered, but Mr Kasparov and his colleagues refused to take such offers in sure knowledge, that by voluntarily submitting themselves to police violence they would strengthen their credentials as “martyrs for democracy”).

Please note that Paul Klebnikov was not a dissident but a supporter of Putin - and his killing had no political motives. Also note that
journalists are murdered all over the world (for a variety of reasons, political and non political), and that insinuating that the regime is somehow responsible for such outrage amounts to unprofessional journalism, if not propaganda.

I sense that the reason we should fear for Mr Kasparov’s life is not that he is a “dissident”, but that someone may wish to harm him in order
to damage Putin’s regime (which is the most likely motive, or at least one of the motives, of the murder of Ms Politkovskaya).

Please also note that the real dissident and the person whose moral stature is beyond doubt, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, also supports Putin and
his work. And amazingly, he has no problems with the fact that Putin served as a KGB agent.

Please read carefully the interview with him in Der Spiegel, 23 July - apart from confirming my point, you will also see that Solzhenitsyn has
lost none of the integrity, subtlety and clarity of mind (despite his advanced age) that has propelled him to the position he occupies. A
towering dissident indeed, and someone you should be writing about were you really concerned about the evolution of Russia’s democracy.

Furthermore, your article grossly distorts Putin’s comment on the demise of the Soviet Union by taking it out of the context, as well as
mistranslating it.

Putin actually said the following in his address to the Federal Assembly on 25 April 2005:

“Above all, we should acknowledge that the collapse of the Soviet Union was a major geopolitical disaster of the century. As for the Russian nation, it became a genuine drama. Tens of millions of our co-citizens and compatriots found themselves outside Russian territory. Moreover, the epidemic of disintegration infected Russia itself”.

The context was the disastrous impact Soviet disintegration had on the lives of millions of people (something that any normal political leader
is obliged to comment upon) - not the glorification of Soviet totalitarianism as you seem to imply.

For your information, Putin further elaborated on this theme when challenged during his visit in Germany in 5 May 2005.

On that occasion he added: “You know, our people say that those who do not regret the collapse of the Soviet Union do not have a heart, and those who do, do not have a head. We don’t regret it, we merely take notice of the fact and we understand that one must not look back but
forward…etc.”

I suggest that before you again write about such weighty issues, you carry out diligent research and do your best to provide your readers with an accurate picture. This is what they expect and deserve.

Finally, as a former citizen of a communist state, I can inform you that I find the WSJ’s anti-Russian propaganda - of the kind you have just produced - very similar, in its spirit as well as methods, to what I witnessed under communism.

*****

Stay tuned for more debunking on the myth of Russia favoring a return to the Stalinist era.

Some other parts of Russia besides Moscow are experiencing an economic upsurge. Granted, that many other areas of the country haven’t (to date) been as fortunate.

As is, the Russian economy isn’t only about fossil fuel. The growing Russian economy is providing Russia with the ability to develop a more balanced economic structure.

How this all plays out (positive or negative) isn’t etched in stone.

The mentioned “inequity of wealth” should be a concern.

Hat tipping yourself is not allowed.

This one’s not filtered through Mascow.

Toligatti is gettin’ some French luv: Lada stake leads Renault assault on Russia (FT 9 December 2007)

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/aa46e7ca-a678-11dc-b1f5-0000779fd2ac,Authorised=false.html?_i_location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ft.com%2Fcms%2Fs%2F0%2Faa46e7ca-a678-11dc-b1f5-0000779fd2ac.html%3Fnclick_check%3D1&_i_referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ft.com%2Fhome%2Feurope&nclick_check=1

25% luv in fact. Didn’t Berezovsky get his first leg up with Avtovaz down there? Naughty boy.