Something about Russia
1 Comments Published by Svetlana Zhukova on Saturday, November 11, 2006 at 11:53 PM.
Well, generally this topic is for many posts, but there are some thoughts and sayings in various publications, especially abroad, that fuelled my wish to write.
Media in Russia.
There is an agreed intl opinion that there is no independent TV in the country, but situation is better with newspapers, magazines etc. I'd say it's pretty much true, and that means that people have sources of different views if they want to listen to them. Many things should be discussed more, but the problem is not in access to the information. Our problem is that there is no action after the information is given to people. Yes, media wrote about an issue with Sakhalin - but nothing happens until the state has interest to protect. People as a nation do not know/want to do something, if it doesn't concern them personally. The strongest and probably only protest I can remember was about a law on privileges that could potentially make situation of unprotected classes even worse.
The problem is not in having information, this can be solved; the problem is that people don't care much. And that is more important.
Politovskaya's assassination.
I do want this to be solved and cleared, as any crime done to a person. But telling you the truth, vast-vast majority of people, including myself, heard of her for the first time in a news about the assassination itself. Not to be too hard, but too much then to think of a journalist as "consciousness of a nation", if the nation haven't heard of her/him. She was more known in Moscow circles, and this way too far to the rest of the country. I'd call others this title, others that out provocative questions even on TV and question the current by doing some concrete steps.
And without the facts it's paranoid to think about "Kremlin hand" in everything; for Kremlin it would be easier if Politkovskaya continued her works, rather then to face public accusations with a threat of trust decrease.
I'd put it in such a way: I want militia to follow all crimes as well as they do in public cases. I want Politkovskaya's assassination to be opened, but not less I want an assassination of a woman in a small town to be opened.
Putin's Russia.
It is naïve to think that Putin is the only one deciding Russia's way now. As naïve as to think, that Lenin was the only reason to the revolution in 1917, that Bush is the only reason of war in Iraq.
Yes, Putin is a face of Russia now; this is what president does. And is the first conscious face after Yeltsin's decade that was an anarchy. I personally think that "West" as we call it here, doesn't like Putin much 'cause he is not the one that was expected after Yeltsin, and not as convenient.
To tell you the secret - majority of Russia's population sincerely supports Putin and would like him to stay for the third term (which he won't do, he'd rather be the head of the opposition then hehe)
Yes, right, many things can be done differently, better, I can name you myself a lot.
But I think there is no magic to turn a communistic country with central-power mentality of centuries into a happy democratic market place in 10 or 15 years. Mind you, in addition the country is the biggest in the world. And if you for example run from your city not to pay taxes, you'll not be found as easily as in France, right? In my opinion, there is no person who can change everything in even 8 years of the term with dozens and centuries of different life behind.
What we need - is a system of living, making our life better and taking people out of world's back garden, and this what can and should be built - fundament should be laid during the given term.
It's being done somehow, but the question what direction it takes. It's not like Europe or US democracy, but who said it's the only right way?
I'd not call modern Russia living in totalitar regime, if you think so, you don't know what real totalitarism is (as our countries learned with Stalin)
However, if even autocracy is needed in transitory times, I don't want to live with it forever, and many problems should be addressed.
I personally think that fight corruption is much more important that to fight Georgia.
But at the end, it's people's choice - and people choose Putin today and would choose him tomorrow. Whatever else the rest of the world thinks.
We, Russians, always think that we must have our own way :)
Media in Russia.
There is an agreed intl opinion that there is no independent TV in the country, but situation is better with newspapers, magazines etc. I'd say it's pretty much true, and that means that people have sources of different views if they want to listen to them. Many things should be discussed more, but the problem is not in access to the information. Our problem is that there is no action after the information is given to people. Yes, media wrote about an issue with Sakhalin - but nothing happens until the state has interest to protect. People as a nation do not know/want to do something, if it doesn't concern them personally. The strongest and probably only protest I can remember was about a law on privileges that could potentially make situation of unprotected classes even worse.
The problem is not in having information, this can be solved; the problem is that people don't care much. And that is more important.
Politovskaya's assassination.
I do want this to be solved and cleared, as any crime done to a person. But telling you the truth, vast-vast majority of people, including myself, heard of her for the first time in a news about the assassination itself. Not to be too hard, but too much then to think of a journalist as "consciousness of a nation", if the nation haven't heard of her/him. She was more known in Moscow circles, and this way too far to the rest of the country. I'd call others this title, others that out provocative questions even on TV and question the current by doing some concrete steps.
And without the facts it's paranoid to think about "Kremlin hand" in everything; for Kremlin it would be easier if Politkovskaya continued her works, rather then to face public accusations with a threat of trust decrease.
I'd put it in such a way: I want militia to follow all crimes as well as they do in public cases. I want Politkovskaya's assassination to be opened, but not less I want an assassination of a woman in a small town to be opened.
Putin's Russia.
It is naïve to think that Putin is the only one deciding Russia's way now. As naïve as to think, that Lenin was the only reason to the revolution in 1917, that Bush is the only reason of war in Iraq.
Yes, Putin is a face of Russia now; this is what president does. And is the first conscious face after Yeltsin's decade that was an anarchy. I personally think that "West" as we call it here, doesn't like Putin much 'cause he is not the one that was expected after Yeltsin, and not as convenient.
To tell you the secret - majority of Russia's population sincerely supports Putin and would like him to stay for the third term (which he won't do, he'd rather be the head of the opposition then hehe)
Yes, right, many things can be done differently, better, I can name you myself a lot.
But I think there is no magic to turn a communistic country with central-power mentality of centuries into a happy democratic market place in 10 or 15 years. Mind you, in addition the country is the biggest in the world. And if you for example run from your city not to pay taxes, you'll not be found as easily as in France, right? In my opinion, there is no person who can change everything in even 8 years of the term with dozens and centuries of different life behind.
What we need - is a system of living, making our life better and taking people out of world's back garden, and this what can and should be built - fundament should be laid during the given term.
It's being done somehow, but the question what direction it takes. It's not like Europe or US democracy, but who said it's the only right way?
I'd not call modern Russia living in totalitar regime, if you think so, you don't know what real totalitarism is (as our countries learned with Stalin)
However, if even autocracy is needed in transitory times, I don't want to live with it forever, and many problems should be addressed.
I personally think that fight corruption is much more important that to fight Georgia.
But at the end, it's people's choice - and people choose Putin today and would choose him tomorrow. Whatever else the rest of the world thinks.
We, Russians, always think that we must have our own way :)
Totally agree!!!!
I even sent a copy to some of my colleagues, cos Im not able to put these thoughts as clearly as you did! and many people ask me those things!!
Tasha