On Popular Criticism of Russia And The Russians
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
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With the expulsion of Mr. Gennady Gudkov from the Russian legislature, indicating a new repression in Russia against dissent, among other things, including the call for a removal of a policy of linkage (by the U.S. government) with things like trade, emigration and human rights, the accession of Russia to new economic and political heights, including the status of Russia in the W.T.O. at this time begs the question about the acceptance of economies into that organisation actually based upon their commitment to free trade or indeed some acceptable hybrid thereof. That the Russian administration could slap U.S. businesses due to the provisions of the Jackson - Vanik amendment of 1974 and its current applications does scare people interested in issues like human rights, adherence to a western democratic rule of law, civic rights, anti - terrorism, and better terms of trade between countries like the U.S. and Russia, and for reasons that interest the business people in both territories. Accession to the W.T.O. has called for Russia to emphasize its finances and potential to carry more weight in the world of free trade, strictly and specifically a utilitarian economics approach, and this while Jackson - Vanik is an administrative bill that is used to mirror international Russian policies and the human side of international business with Eastern Europe. This makes for very little convergence of strict ideas in the meeting of business people and economists who would like to see it kicked out of the way, and humanists who see the value of protecting human and civil rights and practices as primary to a healthy society and healthy business and commerce.
That the current Russian administration might just be seen abroad, at least among many in the West, as one of provincial officialdom that little understands the importance of the more refined ideas around human rights and domestic dissent and their related effects upon commerce and world opinion, does not disparage the current Russian regime from asserting itself into various associations given its self - interested qualities and new - found economic weight in the world. Part of this positioning apparently has been to diffuse the stark memories everyone has of communism and its effect on the country and the consciousness of the people today that remains mostly centrist and one as well that leaves the debate about administration and economies, public and foreign relations, to the elites, much as during Tsarist and later soviet times. The current Russian leadership as obscure in its origins does call for intriguing and introspective interpretations as to the motives of the government there in promoting such people, especially with respect to the current president who apparently really started in the old K.G.B. in East Germany during a time in which many believed, and not just inside Russia itself, that the U.S.S.R. could win the Cold War - and thus the many communist sympathisers of the day and not just in Eastern Europe. One should note people have popped up in places everywhere who have owned property in Russia for many years, and who knew and know the Putins and Medvedevs, again starting from the old days. One liberal rationale from utilitarians everywhere is East Germany and Poland, at the time of Mr. Putin's work there, probably could have used help from anyone, though many do believe despite this that communism was no help in any way whatsoever with its promise to organise and move society forward, even from the beginning. Mr. Putin appears to represent the crowd as inspired by soviet times who voluntarily ran places like DRG and Poland, North Korea, and even Cambodia and Viet Nam, in an oppressive and strict fashion to reinforce the doctrines of communism against the free world. The legacy of this, given the junking of communism and its apparatus, has been for silent machinations with respect to free trade (cf. conduct of Warsaw Treaty countries and their overall influences and world connections,) and demands upon the international community for legitimacy along official lines. This is the international house the Russian leaders are building at this point, while using their connections and political weight among non - aligned nations and NGO's that emphasise and promote issues at this time more or less as they always have done, under the indirect sponsorship of Eastern European regimes, and with socialistic / communistic tendencies.
On one level of analysis, it is not difficult to see how and why the Russian administration is throwing its weight around on the international stage lately with respect to trade and other issues, including repression and human rights: The country, no longer communist, has always had a strong central government as located in Saint - Petersburg and then Moscow, and again, society as greatly influenced by the church has allowed the political elites to rule. This makes for a different kind of management of social and political, business and legal issues, etc., and as such the byzantine heritage encompassed in Moscow is easily and evidently upheld. This should be looked into by more journalists and interested parties who are curious themselves enough to try to determine the continued role of the emphasis of Moscow in the identity of Russia, versus the major cities and areas of the provinces where vestiges of the old regime apparently remain, and as well where the church is more powerful. The current Russian regime has made attempts, despite slapping people on issues, in its image in some respects to detract from the authoritarianism of the communist regime as centered in Moscow. This is no reason to be persuaded the polity in Russia should be authenticated more in the West, especially due to continued abuses, though it does appear Russia's leadership is taking its own, practical approach to additionally modernising and bringing up the country from within and creating better ties with the outside. It will be curious to see if this can continue without additional power - shuffling and grabbing there that is age - old and that could more sully the impressions people have in learning about it from the exterior, or visiting there at this time.
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