Thoughts 24 Feb 2008 08:05 am
Putin’s Russia
As long as I’m on a Russian kick this was discovered in the NYT:
Kremlin Rules
Putin’s Iron Grip on Russia Suffocates His Opponents
By CLIFFORD J. LEVY
Published: February 24, 2008
A new autocracy now governs Russia. Behind a facade of democracy lies a centralized authority that is not reluctant to swat down those who challenge the ruling party.
Mr. Putin’s Russia is not the Soviet Union. For most Russians, life is freer now than it was in the old days. Criticism of the Kremlin is tolerated, as long as it is not done in any broadly organized way, and access to the Internet is unfettered. The economy, with its abundance of consumer goods and heady rate of growth, bears little resemblance to the one under Communism.
Still, as was made plain in dozens of interviews with political leaders, officials and residents of Nizhny Novgorod over several weeks, a new autocracy now governs Russia. Behind a facade of democracy lies a centralized authority that has deployed a nationwide cadre of loyalists that is not reluctant to swat down those who challenge the ruling party. Fearing such retribution, many of the people interviewed for this article asked not to be identified.
The basic problem with Russia is that the people had so little for so long that they will tolerate almost anything if it keeps goods on the shelves, food on the table and something approaching stability in government.
I’m afraid that Putin is less like Yeltsin and a great deal more like Stalin.
Still his taking away rights and attacking any opposition is nothing more than what our own administration has been trying to do.