Posted on 01/05/2009 12:29:38 PM PST by Publius804
A Brewing Storm in Russia
Can Russian liberalism survive the Putin/Medvedev regime?
A year ago, Russia was in an odd place between oppressive stagnation and a glimmer of possible change. The ruling party, United Russia, had just consolidated its hold on the parliament in a rigged election; the presidential transition was revealed as the farcical anointment of a handpicked successor to Vladimir Putin—the docile Dmitry Medvedev, who quickly promised to make Putin prime minister. Yet some Russian liberals, and sympathetic Westerners, harbored at least modest hopes that Medvedev might prove more liberal than Putin and that the division of power between president and prime minister might weaken Russia's neo-autocracy.
Today, the winds of change in Russia are blowing again—harsh winds that may yet turn into a storm.
The liberalization from above turned out to be a non-starter, despite Medvedev's declaration that "freedom is better than non-freedom." Any hopes of a thaw, or a Putin-Medvedev fissure, were crushed when Medvedev's first 100 days ended with the war in Georgia. (Whatever Georgia's responsibility for triggering this war, it was preceded by years of provocation and manipulation by the Kremlin—intended to destabilize a government perceived as unfriendly and send an assertive message to the West.)
The surge of "patriotic" sentiment that followed Russia's victory threatened to take the country even further down the authoritarian road. But history works in mysterious ways.
While Western sanctions in response to the war proved short-lived, Russia paid a heavy price for its victory in the flight of foreign capital—which both predated October's financial crisis and exacerbated its effects in Russia.
(Excerpt) Read more at reason.com ...
Good article, but can she still sing “A Thousand Stars”?
You know these think tank stars and their agitation against foreigners are a bit of a joke. I suppose it pays well, but I wish they could concentrate on helping us in the Politically Correct People’s Republic of Illinois first.
> Good article, but can she still sing “A Thousand Stars”?
IIRC, that was Kathy Jean, not Kathy Young.
:)
1956 ... what a GREAT year ...
“IIRC, that was Kathy Jean, not Kathy Young.
:)”
You must be getting old.
www.kathyyoung.com/bio.htm
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ck_D85HO_pI
> You must be getting old
Yup! Must be.
You’re right, of course.
I was 9 years old in 1956.
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