Posted on 10/15/2006 2:23:15 AM PDT by MarMema
On October 5, President Vladimir Putin made “an astounding statement for the leader of a multi-ethnic federative state,” “The St. Petersburg Times” wrote on its opinion page on October 10.
In a speech addressing regional authorities, Putin called on them to “protect the interests of Russian manufacturers and Russia's native population” in the country's outdoor markets. He blamed recent ethnic violence in Kondopoga on poor regulation and law enforcement in the area and called for tough new migration laws. “Putin did not name any particular ethnic group,” the newspaper noted, “but it is no secret that natives of the Caucasus, particularly Azeris, are responsible for the majority of trade in Russian outdoor markets.”
Until the statement, Putin and other officials “trod a careful line, supporting nationalist parties such as Rodina but refraining from making inflammatory statements about Russia's ethnic groups,” “The Moscow Times” pointed out and then quoted Vladimir Pribylovsky, an analyst who tracks Kremlin politics at the Panorama think tank, as saying: “I did not believe my ears when I first heard this. There has been a lot of nationalism, but there has not been any ethnic nationalism until now. ... This is a very dangerous game.”
But which native population did Putin have in mind when he called for the protection of the population’s interest, asked “The St. Petersburg Times.” Kondopoga's native population is Karelian and the town is in the Republic of Karelia that first became part of Russia in 1721 and belonged to Finland between the two world wars. “Even if he was thinking primarily of Azeris, Chechens, and Karelians when he made his speech to the council for national projects, that is not necessarily the way it will be heard,” the newspaper continued. “Recent events are more likely to conjure up thoughts of protecting Russia's native population from the Georgians. This is the clear impression state television is giving as it reports about raids on businesses that police say are owned by Georgian criminal groups and shows the apprehension and deportation of illegal Georgian migrants.” Putin's use of the term “native population” gives a green light for the radicalization of nationalist groups, commented Galina Kozhevnikova of Sova Information-Analytical Center, an independent group that monitors xenophobia.
“The St. Petersburg Times” called attention to “unprecedented harassment of individuals whose only crime was being a Georgian citizen or being born in Georgia.” The “current campaign of racial profiling” and a selective application of the migration law – the deportation on October 6 of 132 Georgians out of an estimated 10 million illegal migrants is a case in point -- reminded the newspaper’s editorial writer of ethnic cleansing. The writer called for a condemnation of this latest campaign and urged all citizens, even if they are from the “right” ethnicity, to remember anti-Nazi theologian Pastor Niemoller’s famous remark that began with “First they came for …” and ended with the chilling line: “When they came for me, there was no one left to speak out.”
Putin will do the same thing that the USSR did... Force russian culture on everyone within Russia's influence.
This pretty much sums it up for me too. Big. Red. Flag.
When are elections in Russia anyway....do you know?
They had Ethnic Nationalism (Or hatred of other Non-Soviet ethnic groups) during the USSR. Stalin also attacked the Chechyns and targeted other ethnic groups for extermination during his rule.
I think it's more accurate to call Putin a Fascist, not a Communist, although I agree with most Freepers that Naziism, Fascism and Communism are all variants of far-LEFT totalitarianism.
The US needs a Manhattan project to lead America and the world to alternative sources of energy. This will weaken Putin, Iran, our friends the Saudis and some other not so very nice guys who the American SUV driver is currently paying to keeping in power.
National security means energy security and energy security means first more drilling and using those reserves to buy time to make the switch to fuels Americans can harness (wind, solar), grow (ethanol, biomass) and produce (nuclear, clean coal).
The amazing thing is that the oil-financed GOP is going to let the DIMS win on this issue.
" Internet postings are calling on Russian nationalists to kill government critics — death lists that underscore the dangers journalists and rights activists face in Russia.Svetlana Gannushkina, a refugee rights activist, tops a list of 89 people published by a radical nationalist group, the Russian Will, which has urged "patriots" to take up arms and execute her and other friends of "alien" peoples."
More misuse of the term, racist. There is only one race involved here, so it can hardly be racism. This is just pandering to half wits who react to emotionally charged wording.
Where do you see the "Big Red Flag" in the above story? I'm dumbfounded.
I spent a long few months in Moscow with a little boy who was of the Caucasus, and believe me, I had lots of commentary on his appearance. I do regret copying the title and not changing it from capitals, however.
"Force russian culture on everyone within Russia's influence."Immigrants to Russia have to respect Russian culture or go home. Just like Mexicans in the USA. The Azeri and other ethnic diasporas (who had moved to Moscow and other cities from the ex-Soviet republics) do not want to do this, they create their own ethnic enclaves and with their clan-like mentality and involvement in the organized crime they only will make the ethnic tensions worse. I guess you are suggesting that Russia should adopt multiculturalism.
I'm not a big fan of Russian 'culture' but it is preferable to the 'culture' to be found in the far corners of the old empire.
So what? So is American trailer trash. It still has nothing to do with race. Georgians may be of a slightly variant ethnicity than federal Russians, but that makes them no more a separate race than Mexicans are to Guatemalans.
I say again, racism is a bombastic term used to garner an emotional response from people with reduced cognitive skills. It is used in all sorts of semantically inappropriate cases and always obscures the objective topic of any discourse in which it occurs. This is such an example. No more, no less.
I actually think Russia should be (non-violently) cleansed now to include only the white skins and neonazi rabid nationalists, because after this, Putin and the Duma deserve exactly what they have now openly rubber stamped.
And, as more and more people are beaten or killed on the Metro by roving neo-nazi gangs, who are tacitly condoned by what is probably the most corrupt police force in the world, well let the tourists beware.
I am sure Stormfront will send some tourists, however.
He's lucky he's not a baseball announcer.
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