Secular news, 2001
November 21, 16.45, Moscow
The poll of ROMIR, question: "Do you agree that elections
in Russia are free and just?" 26% agree, 21% gave no answer
and 53% -- more than a half -- disagree. That means that majority
of population think that election's results are manipulated by nomenclature
(Izvestiya, 25.9.2001).
At the same time only 41% think that the state must let private
business to be completely free, 25% think that the freedom of private
business must be restricted, and 34% are unsure.
November 19, 12.34, Moscow
VTsIOM's poll (Inostranetz, 13.XI, 2001) to the anniversary of
the Communist revolution of 1917: "Imagine that Bolshevik try
to make the revolution now. What will be your actions?"
6% will struggle with Communism.
13% will emigrate.
24% will be neutral and wait.
19% will collaborate with Bolsheviks "in some fields."
22% will support Bolsheviks. Actually, this figure is the usual
amount of Communist supporters now in Russia.
I think that in USA the situation will be the same: majority will
not take arms to struggle with Communists. Above all, United States
have been created by those who decided to emigrate in order not
to struglle with different "dragons."
November 18, 8.55, AM, Moscow
Putin as a hat on Russian throne?
"The Washington Post" and "The Moscow Times"
published excellent article of Anna Politkovskaya blaming Putin
for the war in Chechnya:
"Nov. 4. ... While proceeding along a road bordering the
town of Akhchoi-Martan, a military column opens fire on a roadside
cafe. A 19-year-old waitress, Larisa Bugayeva, a refuge from Grozny,
is killed immediately ... The column ... continues toward the
mountains without even slowing down. [...]
Putin's Russia has no positive aspects. The economy is still
in the hands of oligarchs. Corruption is still rampant. Our social
safety net is nonexistent."
I must add that in Russia there is still no real private property
and no independent court system. Here still the man rules not the
law. Those who admire Putin points out that the new law on land
has been approved. But even according to this law only 2% of land
in Russia can be own privately, and in Moscow, where I live, ALL
the land is still officially owned by the city government.
The worst of all is that Putin is just an occasional projection
of Russian's vices. He can be replaced with anyone, just like Yeltsin
was replaced with him. Putin is a hat put by Russians on the tsar's
throne.
Recently and American friend of mine wrote my that Russia is the
free country. No!!! There is no freedom, there is only imitation
of political liberty. Under Communists in 1970-1980 the government
was no so cynical, so cruel, there was no such massive killing of
peaceful citizens like now (not only in Chechnya.)
I am a Christian. That means that in nowadays Russia I cannot make
business, because I don't give bribes. I cannot become a peasant
or farmer even with bribes. Yes, I can publish a book criticizing
this, but where freedom is only freedom of press? Above all, even
freedom of press is vastly reduced now.
I don't blame Americans, God bless them. Most of my money I earn
due to them. And this is why I give free advice: struggling with
Muslim terrorism be careful not to breed post-Communist terrorism,
using it to counterbalance bin Laden. Sooner or later this will
harm you.
November 5, 2001, 22.32, Moscow
A bit of secular statistics of VTsIOM:
43% citizens of Russia have a phone. But in Moscow the figure is
97%. Cellulars: 4% and 17% (Noviye Izvestiya, 31.10.2001). This
is a perfect illustration of the enourmous gap between Moscow and
province. All oil companies pay taxes in Moscow, where they are
registered. One economist said that Russian econimics is a sort
of vacuum-cleaner which suck province dry.
November 3, 2001, 23.41, Moscow
This one of the most sensitive personally for me results of the
American war in Afganistan: pro-Kremlin propagandists in Russia
(for example. the journalists of "Izvestiya") gladly state
that now America and Russia are one in the struggle against Muslim
terrorism. Americans do in Afganistan what Russian do in Chechnya.
American journalists, says Maxim Yusin (Izvestiya, 3.11.2001) introduced
self-censorship in order to hyde information about peaceful citizens
of Afganistan who became victims of bombing. He proclaims that this
is patriotism, the same as the patriotism of those Russian journalists
who hide the truth about Russian atrocities in Chechnya.
June 12, 2001, 23.38 PM, Moscow
CIVIL SOCIETY: PUTIN'S VISION
Putin met with representatives of "civil society," as
he understands it. They've happened to be musicians, some ecologists.
Putin stated that only strong state can fed civil society. Next
step will be a statement that there are enemies of civil society--different
dissidents who are against the strong state.
Gleb Pavlovsky, KGB-speaker, explained that civil society consists
of ecologists and those who defend the rights of consumers (Izvestiya,
June 10, 2001.) Alexander Archangelsky proposed in the same news-paper
less shoking expression of the same idea: civil society cannot be
build neither from above, by the state, nor from the underground,
it needs "the golden mean."
Civil society "ought not to be privatized," - stated
Archangelsky. I am afraid, that 99% of Western NGO's are too "private"
and "underground" from such point of view. Only collaboration
with the strong government makes NGO a "good one" to such
ideologists.
May 28, 2001, 22.58 PM, Moscow
Language bareer
Madlen Allbright said that it is improper to let Russia to be "belly
up." Evgeniy Rusalov in "Novoye Vrenya" (2001, #17)
explained to Russian audience that "belly up" is the slang
of cowboys and mean "to be very proud, aggressive, rude"
"to make one's way through the croud pushing other with belly."
Professor Georgiy Mirsky (Novoye Vremya, #21) made a correction
which changes the sense to the opposite. Who knows how numerous
are mystakes which feed the anti-Americanism?
May 27, 2001, 8.45 PM, Moscow
COMMUNIST ORDER -- CRIMINALS WITH ORDERS
Vladimir Chaplygin, former vice-minister of agriculture, amnestied.
In mid-1990-s he've stolen about 3 millions dollars, but he is
the order-bearer. One of the most exotic (to my taste) remnants
of Soviet time. Orders, which originated in the West as an additional
responsobility of a person, taking the vow to help others under
Communism became an instument for avoiding responsobility. Instead
of taling the order away from the condemned criminal, criminal
is released because he has an order. Order becomes an indulgence.
May 18, 2001, 22.59 PM, Moscow
"Itogi" (5/15/2001) gives the review about
the life of American Steven Lapekas and Russian Alexy Kutskov.
Magazine "Life" in 1958 made an article about them in
order to compare the quality of education in U.S.A. and in Russia.
It came out then that Russian boy was better educated than American.
American journalists in 1958 wrote in alarmist spirit: Russian
send "sputnik" because they learn better.
Both men have been working all their life in aviation.
"IItogi" now are pro-KGB newspaper, so they don'y compare
their income and life level, because this would show that Russian
boy had lost in the long run. Professionally they've been quite
equal. What is even more interesting is the fact that American
pilot all his life worked in private company, and Russian worked
on the state service.
April 20, 2001
Statistics again: public opinion has changed at
last. More people are against the war in Chehcnya that for it.
In March 2000 only 22% of people were anxious about this war,
now 48% (VTsIOM, Inostanerz,
17.4.2001). 46% are against the war and 42% support it.
Enemies of Russia.
34% of Russians think that U.S.A. are the most dangerous
country for Russia, its main enemy. On the second place - 5% of
Russian see the main danger in China, and 3% in Japan (Noviye
Izvestiyam 16.3.2001).
April 12, 2001, 0.35 AM, Moscow
Today Your correspondent visited
the printed part of Gusinsky's "media-empire": newspaper
"Segodnya" and magazine "Itogi." Emissaries
of Poutine are very close to interception of the commandment of
these media. My friends are sad and tired, although they have
vast moral support. They are especially sad not because Bolsheviks
(Poutine and Co) persecute them, but because friends betray them.
Several peoples from "Segodnya" agreed to collaborate
with pro-Poutine bosses and became "strikebreakers"
(actually, there is no strike, but the desire to continue work.)
Certainly, under Communists betrayal was quite widespread, but
then it was easy to explain it: the iron heel of KGB etc. Now
there is no any special iron heel, only the nausetic fear of future,
of uncertainty. And I think that in such circumstances it is easier
to understand the nature if Judas' sin. He betrayed for money,
of course, but money expressed for him the confidence--confidence
instead of faith.
April 5, 2001, 23.50 AM, Moscow
NTV: drama or tragedy
The campaign of Poutine against
the TV-channel of NTV (Gusinsky), the only non-governmental TV
in Russia, is mostly a drama, result of the next stage of Bolshevistic
Restoration. But there is also a bit of tragedy as something fatal,
and this is because NTV is not as liberal or dissident as this
channel pretend to be now. It is not by chance that leaders of
NTV now begin all their speeches mentioning Victor Shenderovich,
a brilliant satirist, who has 15 minutes of broadcasting on NTV
every Saturday. But all other time NTV is as pro-governmental
as other channels. NTV was not very realistic in depicting the
war in Chechnya. The newspaper and magazine of Gusinsky tried
to be "pocket opposition" and avoided any contacts with
"dissidents."
Personally for me as a Christian and Russian intelligent
there is one more tragic feature. Today some of the NTV journalists
said: "We are the best, we have been pirated from other TV-channels
for big money." Yes, their salaries are quite large even
(I think) according to American standards - up to 8-10 thousand
dollars per month. And mind, that all these money came from the
state through Gasprom and Chernomyrdin. When I try to look well
I always stress that I do this or that free of charge (quite a
lot.) For me unselfishness is a criteria of high human class.
But for these people material success is the criteria - and they
think this is American, and they can say to me or other "intelligents":
"If you are so clever why you are so poor?" I know that
not all Americans are like this, still this is why I cannot with
full enthusiasm compassion to these persecuted.
It is important that Puotine knows about this typically
Russian attitude towards big salaries and tries to use it in propaganda:
look, those who recieve large money cannot be saints or objective
journalists. Certainly, I don't support such position.
Restitution of church property:
Afanasyev's case
Yury Afanasyev, head of the Russian State University
of Humanities, is now in conflict with the Moscow Patriarchy on
the question of restitution. University before 1991 was situated
near Kremlin in the former Church buildings. Then Yeltsin made
to Afanasyev a present: large building of the Party School. Now
Moscow patriarchy urges to return to her buildings of the University
near Kremlin, and Afanasyev refuses.
What is curios in this typical conflict around restitution.
(1) Moscow Patriarchy is the only confession which received some
of their former property. (2) Moscow Patriarchy doesn't even try
to return those church buildings which belong to such ministries
as political police (KGB.) (3) Many journalists had wrote about
this conflict and no one even mentioned that building of the former
Party School had been given to Afanasyev illegally and that they
must be returned to the proper owner (I guess it is the city of
Moscow.) All sides of the conflict still defend their "rights"
in a Bolshevistic way, hiding large part of the truth, appealing
not to the law and justice but to the "expediency."
Chechnya and freedom of speech
February, 22 a meeting was held
in Moscow for the peace in Chechnya. Does this mean that there
is freedom of speech? Yes. Does this mean that Russia is democratic
country? Certainly now. Freedom of speech is most visible sign
of democracy, but historically it is the latest element of civil
society and in the absence of economic freedom freedom of speech
is all too often a freedom of crying.
Russian public opinion about U.S.A.
Foundation "Public Opinion"
made a poll. 52% of Russian think U.S. are friendly to Russia.
32% of Russian think the opposite way. 34% were not sure where
U.S. are situated or gave the wrong answer. 26% Russians associate
U.S. first of all with high level of economical development. Only
5% think about U.S. as a "superpower," and only 5% think
U.S. are international "gendarme," willing to rule the
whole world. Source: Noviye Izvestiya, 24.2.2002,
p.1.
Anonimity returned
Director of FSB (former KGB,
Lubyanka's political police) declared that from now on it is permitted
to write anonymous denunciations. Gorbachev prohibited to take
libelous anonymous letters into account, so now we returned into
Bolshevism in one more sphere.
�he-e-ese! Je-ee-sus!
Funny article of Pavel Voloshin
(Novaya Gazeta, 5.2.2001, p. 24): Russian officials refuse to
put into passports photos with smiling faces. Vice-director of
Moscow UVIR (department giving foreign passports) Anatoly Tuz:
"Smile distorts the face". It can become unrecognizable.
Anonymous representative of Ministry of Home Affairs: "Photo
in passport is the serious matter. Smile is not proper here."
Still, some "Westernized" people now manage to insist
on putting in their passports with smile.
It reminds about very often asked question: was
Jesus ever smiling? People who put such question also are afraid
that smile is something contradicting to human nature. It is interesting
to remember that American standard of smiling is not very old.
It is interesting that ultimate West of Christendom in its development
took the same form as the ultimate East of Pagandon (Japan.) Certainly,
Japanese smile is of the very different nature - and I can hardly
believe that Jesus smiled like a Japanese, but I can imagine Him
smiling like Reagan.
Small Bang
Moscow, Monday, 18.45 - explosion
in metro. I live just several quarters from this station ("Belorusskaya').
No one was killed, 9 people slightly injured. Very strange explosion.
Mayor of Moscow and KGB already proclaimed that this is Chechen's
terrorism. I wonder: why Chechens in Moscow never behave like
in Chechnya, where several of them already committed suicide as
"live bombs," killing a lot of people. Why no terrorism
of Palestinian type?
Actually, everyone understand now that all explosions
in Moscow (5 in four years) could have been a fake organized by
KGB under direct guidance of Putin. Some of them (like explosion
of August, 2000 near Pushkinskaya) could be the result of war
of gangsters. This is one more facet of Eastern "blurrness":
you are never sure what is going on, because political life is
non-transparent, freedom of press and independence of judges limited.
Spiritual life is also blurred, always on the brink of dualism
or manicheism.
February 4, 2001
Sportsman Jonathan Edwards gave
an interview to "Izvestiya" (2.2.2001). He is known
as Christian, journalist asked him about what does he pray, Edwards
answered: "I pray not for my own success, but for the growth
of popularity of athletics." The day before Russian actor
Sergey Makovetskiy gave an interview to "Vechernyaya Moskva"
(1.2.2001). He was asked the same question and answered: "Yes,
I am a believer and that is why I never speak about anything connected
with faith."
February 2, 2001: Poor goldsmiths
Ekaterinburg, town near Urals
mountains, where Yeltsin was a chieftain under Bolshevism. Goldsmiths
have the lowest income here: 546 rubles per month (19.02$.) Important
note: all goldsmiths work on the municipal plants. Still, all
vacancies are full (Sergey Avdeyev, Izvestiya, 2.2.2001.)
Certainly, this means that goldsmiths receive there
money under table. But how librarian of the public library live
with the income of 600 rubles and no table with gold to get money
under it? Well, librarian must have a husband who is goldsmith...
The source of Russian reforms
This day the headliner is that Persecutor General
is corrupted: he received from Kremlin most expensive apartments
in the center of Moscow (app. 400.000.00$.) - received in private
property without paying any tax. Journalists wrote about this
and stated that this is the corruption. Moscow court ruled out
that it is not, that everything was done in accordance with the
law. What is most sad - the court may be correct, because Russian
laws are very often unjust and written to cover the sins of princes.
It is interesting that to receive apartment from
Kremlin is the temptation not only for Russian nomenclature but
for Westerners also. At least Michail Shemyakin, sculptur from
Ney York, in "Vechernyaya Moskva" (Moscow Evening,
30.1.2001) defends Putin from his critics, bitterly criticizes
Russian people for being lazy, for having stolen some bronze parts
of sculptures which he had created in St. Petersburg. Shemyakin
also mentions that Putin presented to him an apartment in Petersburg.
Shemyakin, it seems, doesn't understand that Putin have simply
stolen this apartment from the state - from tax-payers.
I think it is not by chance that both above mentioned
persons bitterly criticized Russian people and loudly appraise
Mr. Putin. Not only them, but many Westerners and Russians are
deeply disappointed in Russians: Gorbachev, Gaidar, Putin tried
to reform Russia but Russian people came out to be lazy, crazy
and dishonest.
Bad news: neither Gorbachev nor any other political
leader of Russia after 1917 were pro-reformed.
Good news: there is the source of the reformist
spirit in Russia, and it is in Russian people. Yes, Russians are
not angels. I can say a lot of unpleasant things about my compatriots.
But still they are the mail reason why Gorbachev and others began
to change something. It is my compatriots who at last understood
the untruth of Communism, Marxism, Socialism. We all laughed when
Gorbachev spoke about "socialism with human face." It
is my compatriots who oppose the idea of established religion
while all politics in Russia more or less approve the domination
of the Moscow Patriarchy. It is my compatriots who don't want
to make bloody revolution to through away Communists and post-Communist
Mafia.
Certainly, many of my compatriots work in KGB, kill
peaceful Chechens and even Russians, my compatriots take bribes
etc. Still, even these Russians understand that they do wrong.
This is why they so actively invent justifications. But in general
Russian silent majority is more moral, rational and pro-freedom
than Russian
"elite" - shameful heritage of Bolshevism. This "elite"
try to stop our movement to freedom with lies and force, but the
movement is obvious.
Still, good news are that even pro-governmental
journalists (they constitute a majority in Russia, because government
is the wealthiest owner of media) don't state that it is proper
for Persecutor General to receive such "gifts." People
are not corrupted to the extent of saying that corruption is a
norm. People are frightened, tired, lazy but they are not perverted.
And twenty years ago it was worse, because people thought that
Bolshevism - the worst form of corruption, ideological perversion
- is something normal.
January 30, 2001: Putin vs freedom of press
Putin is struggling with journalists of NTV, the
only TV-channel which sometimes criticize the government. Some
of these journalists have received from Gusinsky, the owner of
NTV and also the banker, loans to buy some apartments in Moscow
(about 50-70 thousands dollars.) On January 28, 2001, investigator
told to media that this is not a loan, but a bribe, because Gusinsky's
bank now is bankrupt. All media -- which are pro-Putin -- began
accusing "liberal journalists" in corruption. They receive
"too much." Honest salary cannot be so high. Honest
human is the one who earns small money. Russian proverb: "Ot
trudov pravednych nye nazhivesh palat kamennych" : "Working
honestly you will never earn enough to built stone home"
(only wooden.)
At the same time the investigator, governmental
journalists, and their audience -- the majority of Russian nation
- receive many "privileges" (called "priviligii")
- from the right not to pay for the public transport and up to
the cheap or free flat. But to received an apartment from mayor
of the city without any fee -- this is an honor, this is an award,
this is not a bribe.
Such psychology is called by American ethnologists
"potluck economy": when there is no trade as non-personal
exchange but only as the exchange of gifts, establishing the close
interpersonal relations. Money express your personal opinion about
myself, not the cost of product, they are a sort of wampum. If
you think I am a good person, then express it though gift-giving,
or salary, or fee.
This explains numerous conflicts between Americans
and Russians: the latter hope that they will be paid simply because
they are good and because wealthy Americans must honor them. This
is very archaic psychology, but with one improvement: former "soviet
people" never pay to honor the guest. The road which was
sometime a two-way road became a one-way.
The journalists of Gusinsky receive large salaries
even according to Western standards. The governmental journalists
also receive large salaries but under table. The main difference
is that journalists of Gusinsky are not only democratic, but also
good professional, making nice media.
One sad note. Now we know that many Moscow journalists
receive big money. But still no one of them spend anything on
charity. Russian middle class is not used to give, only to receive.
This can be explained with the lack of certainty in tomorrow and
desire to save everything, or with desire to help children, but
these reasons can be "valid" in any society and in any
society they are invalid. Charity is always a risk and always
a necessity -- more for those who give than for those who are
supposed to receive.
On January 29, a dozen journalists of NTV (the only democratic
TV channel) met with Putin. This is their ultimate defeat - moral defeat. They
have asked for such meeting - and this humble plea made them just a serfs who
hope that "good lord" will have mercy over them. Such meeting completely
puts the situation out of the normal democratic context of law into the feudal
(or Bolshevictic) context of emotional game. In such game Putin will always
be a winner - he smiled, he was very kind, but he didn't acknowledged the fact
of persecution and haven't give any promises. He could - then he will cheat.
January 28, 2001: Borodin in prison
I am glad to say that many Russians (myself included)
are very glad to see Mr. Pavel Borodin imprisoned in New York for
stealing 25.000.000.00$ from Russian Treasury. For people in the
desert it is very pleasant to know that there is water somewhere.
For people in unlawful state - that there is justice at least abroad.
Gloating delight, but it is still a pleasure, and not very small.
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