Posted on 09/16/2004 2:22:02 PM PDT by Lukasz
The European and Russian governments are living in two different worlds
"Business is politics in up-to-date Russia. The government controls all aspects of the nation's life and the commercial field is not an exception," the chairman of the committee "2008: Free Choice", Grand Master Garry Kasparov said on September 13th at the Baltic Forum of Development in Hamburg. Below you can find excerpts from the chess player's speech.
"We must draw a distinction between the current Russian leadership and the citizens of Russia. The rich culture, creativity, the knowledge and humanity of our nation is still alive and means a lot more to the world than the whole Russian oil," Kasparov said. "High oil prices make the only support for Putin's regime. Citizens of other oil-extracting countries do not derive profit from the oil wealth. Both oil and all other natural resources of Russia should have their own markets and open ways to reach those markets."
Garry Kasparov believes that Russia should unite with Europe. "This union would be important to the Russian nation for social and economic reasons. The traditions of the European democracy and the relative economic stability will help Russia become a modern state. However, Putin's regime mixes up the past and the present. A lot of Russia's neighbors are still being suspicious about Russia, and they have reasons for it. An order in the past is necessary for the future progress. The European and Russian governments are living in two different worlds," Kasparov stated in Hamburg.
"One of the examples to prove it is the fact how our media outlets defend the notorious pact of 1939 between Nazis and Soviets. The USSR attacked Finland because of the pact, it invaded the Baltic republics, occupied a part of Poland and assisted in unleashing WWII. Russia needs to acknowledge the crimes of its Soviet predecessors.
"The avowal of guilt is a good spiritual remedy, which also means the acknowledgement of universal moral values, which the Kremlin currently rejects. One of these values is the ability to find common language. Putin's administration does not know how to speak this language.
"The Soviet past still dominates the Russian reality and politics. Putin is aware of that. In his address to the nation after the hostage crisis in Beslan, the president said that the nation is living under the conditions, which have been created with the collapse of a great state, which proved to be helpless in the changing world. It would be the same to say that you have been living in a house without the water supply system," Kasparov said.
"The Soviet Union could not and cannot be a part of modern Europe. It could become a part of Europe only with its conquests. We must distinguish between modern Russia that we need and the Soviet past that Putin is trying to retrieve.
"There is no place for Committee 2008 and the real opposition in the Russian press. However, there is a place for nationalists and Stalinists, who grieve about that "great state." They decline basic democratic values. These talks about the return to the erstwhile glory are becoming more frequent now. The Nazi propaganda is prohibited in Germany, but not in Russia," Kasparov said.
"Unfortunately, this is not the only aspect, in which Putin exercises himself as a Stalinist. He talks about everything in the old Soviet language. He suppresses freedom of speech, freedom of commerce, he has led Russia astray.
"Putin announced that he would cancel elections of regional governors as a measure to struggle against terrorism. Local parliamentarians will have to approve the selected nominees. Putin is destroying democracy at the time when we need it most. Western politicians might say that the Russian Constitution technically allows it. However, if the West keeps silent, we will most likely witness similar changes happening in the presidential election procedure.
"Even the national lucrative oil market does not function according to the standards of the civilized world. The scandal with Yukos and its CEO, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, has exerted a destructive influence on the economy.
"It is impossible for Europe to deal with the current Russian administration. Europe should press on Putin for changes. One should not let Putin mix the Soviet past with the Russian future in an attempt to keep the relations.
"Schroeder and Chirac are using double standards instead, which brings a lot of harm to the Russian nation. It is not time for Realpolitik. Each meeting of the Group of Seven with Putin's participation is perceived as the approval of Putin's home policy.
And there is nothing wrong with the words for the Russian national anthem either, btw. It says something about "saved by God" in it as I recall.
Of course you would see nothing wrong with using the same Soviet Anthem that was used to oppress so many people for so long. I'm sure the citizens of those nations don't cringe when they hear the tune that imprisoned them for so many years.
Ah yes, I put many of his quotes in one of my earlier posts.
You on the other hand, took something from a news item and chose to understand it completely out of context.
And, as I have said many times, Russia has a history of a strong central power. The Russians are overwhelmingly happy with Putin. It is only the commie whiners who have been ousted or have a handful of followers that continue to complain. We have many more of these same commie whiners here in this country.
They liked the tune, so they kept it. That doesn't make them all privately scheming to remake the USSR. Grasping now, are you?
They completely changed the words, btw.
Yes, I've read where there is something called Soviet Chic that is all in style.
Ronald Reagan was right in calling the old Soviet Union the Evil Empire, and Putin is restoring it. You can worship the monster if you wish...he's America's enemy.
There were far more Russians who suffered under communism than any other people. In fact there were 300,000 Russian Orthodox clergy murdered by the USSR. And the church has gone with it.
I think they are perhaps more secure about their future and safety with Putin than you are.
Only in your mind. Condi Rice and President Bush have not said this, nor have they indicated this in any way.
I'm sure that makes those who lived under the brutal regime that Putin laments find that so comforting.
In Germany several thousands Nazis just staged a march at Rudolph Hess's grave and they are making a revisionist movie about Hilter. I'm sure the Poles would also find if comforting that Germans were also slaughered by Hitler.
Seems you are missing a lot of facts:
Chechen kidnappers target Jews for torture
Do you object to the Russian troops taking back the region and freeing several captives?. See: Jewish hostages in Chechen being killed
Russians are saying it:
VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV, AP
MOSCOW (Sept. 13) -- Responding to a series of deadly terror attacks, President Vladimir Putin on Monday moved to significantly strengthen the Kremlin's grip on power, with new measures that include the naming of regional governors and an overhaul of the electoral system. Putin told Cabinet members and security officials convened in special session that the future of Russia was at stake and urged the creation of a central, powerful anti-terror agency...He said he would propose legislation abolishing the election of local governors by popular vote. Instead, they would be nominated by the president and confirmed by local legislatures - a move that would undo the remaining vestiges of the local autonomy already chipped away by Putin during his first term in office...Putin explained his move by the need to streamline and strengthen the executive branch to make it more capable of combating terror.
Many Poles do remember that Germans elected Hitler while Bolsheviks subjugated Russian only after bloody civil war.
She's a big fan of Michael Moore, the other histrionic in need of meds that comes to mind quickly.
" Anna Politkovskaya, reviewer for "New Gazette", London, July 15th, 2004"
And Putin will subjugate them again by taking elections out of their hands and placing them in his own.
LOL! On the scale of things I'll go with the gat putz over the brutal dictator.
"The mainstream media's accusation that President Bush lied about terrorist links between al Qaeda and Saddam were blown out of the water by President Vladymir Putin. In a public statement Putin said that after 9/11 Russian intelligence had warned Washington several times that Saddam Hussein was planning to attack the United States.
Putin said: "I can confirm that after the events of September 11, 2001, and up to the military operation in Iraq, Russian special services and Russian intelligence several times received .?.?. information that official organs of Saddam's regime were preparing terrorist acts on the territory of the United States and beyond its borders, at U.S. military and civilian locations."
So you publicly admit your support of Michael Moore?
Putin said that while he was groveling to try and get back into his lucritive oil deals with Iraq. Compare them with his most recent comments when he blames the United States on the terror in Russia and backs away from his own Soviet style tactics that kindled the crisis.
Very selective of you...and too funny in a Soviet kind of way.
Pravda tactics again...LOL! So predictable. No, I don't support Moore, however, I recognize that he is not a threat to the United States or world peace...Putin is.
It's all a matter of priorities.
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