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Tsar Vladimir Putin is always right

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In Russia, the old saying goes, the tsar is always right.

Whether an imperial Romanov, a Soviet commissar or President Vladimir Putin, no matter how harsh the regime, Russians have traditionally viewed their leaders as virtually infallible.

Contrary to the logic that oppression breeds discontent, Russians have endured some of the worst despots in history, yet they have a near-apocalyptic fear of change of power. The end of a regime promises not hope but a cataclysm.

Throughout Russian history, the population has supported its leaders regardless of the policies they implement, often despite them. This explains the Russian people's enduring devotion to a "strong hand" ruler, and their equal distrust of pluralist democracy. In addition, when the "other" - for example, the United States or European Union - lectures the Kremlin on its oppressive politics, Russians band together even more tightly behind their ruler. As we are seeing with Putin today.

So the hopeful expectations that the Moscow protests sparked by the assassination of opposition leader Boris Nemtsov might sweep out the Putin regime may be far too hopeful.

Polls in February, just days before Nemtsov's murder, show that only 15% of the public sympathized with the opposition, while 68% did not. A majority, 54%, think Russia under Putin is "heading in the right direction."

Russians continue to like Putinism, a hybrid of central power, KGB-ism, state-controlled market economics with such freedoms as selective protests or publication of a few independent newspapers. Yet critics insist that if Putinism made sense in the 2000s, it doesn't any more.

High oil prices earlier this century gave Russians a stable job market and access to consumer and luxury products they had never experienced before, this argument goes. The stability helped foster widespread public trust in the superiority of Russia's state-directed, oil-driven businesses over an uncontrollable free-market version of capitalism.

Putin's policies, however, have now brought on crippling Western economic sanctions in response to Moscow's annexation of Crimea last March. Political opponents are no longer just arrested, as was anticorruption lawyer Alexei Navalny; they are being killed. There were, of course, deaths before -- anti-Kremlin journalist Anna Politkovskaya was gunned downed in her building's elevator. But Nemtsov, once a deputy prime minister and Putin colleague, was the first prominent politician to lose his life to Putinism.

Yet only 12 percent of Russians think that they should confront Putin through demonstrations. The rest believe that it is far more important that Putin is standing up against the West. For they also believe the United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization want to see Russia weak and brought "to its knees."

True, Russians are not getting all the news. Roughly 90% of the population receives information from the Kremlin-controlled TV networks, which are afire with U.S. bashing and European Union thrashing because of their unwillingness to accept Russia as an equal. The problem may be, however, that Russians want to believe this inaccurate view. Alternative news sources, including the Internet, are available but remain largely unused.

Consider: Russians don't want to think of themselves as aggressors in eastern Ukraine, so they choose the news that tells them the West created the Ukrainian crisis to undermine Russia's position in the world.

Russians don't want to be the citizens of a weak, insignificant country. It is hard for them to admit that since the end of communism in 1991, Russia has been losing size and status, even as Western cultural and economic influences increase. Russians historically came to believe that influencing Ukraine's affairs is their right because Ukraine had long been a part of the immense empire. They may feel that the deaths of Putin's opponents are sad occurrences; but they argue that, ultimately, it's the critics' fault because they are Western puppets hatefully presenting the Kremlin in an unfavorable light.

To show that Russia hasn't entirely lost its famed soul to Putinism, an estimated 50,000 marched in Moscow to honor Nemtsov last week. Thousands more came to his funeral - but only because these events had few political slogans.

Russia's reluctance to protest, though there have been occasional large waves of dissent, including the 2011-12 protests against Putin returning to the Kremlin for his third presidential term, reflects both our love for the tsar and our ingrained anti-Westernism. The 19th-century Russian Tsar Alexander III, a conservative, anti-European nationalist, once announced that Russia has only two allies - the army and the navy.

This attitude was shared by 20th-century Communists, including Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin. They both closed Soviet borders in an effort to restrict Western influences. Stalin repeatedly eliminated his political opponents - for example, prominent Bolshevik ideologue Nikolai Bukharin - by accusing them of being British capitalist spies.

Competition usually makes the Russian people feel insecure. When they don't feel on top of the world, they accuse others of sabotaging their success. Nemtsov was wrong to say that Putin, a former KGB recruiter who used to read people for a living, "has programmed Russians to hate strangers." Putin didn't need to do this. We Russians can be patriotically bigoted and nationalistically narrow-minded all by ourselves.

Therefore, tens of thousands of challengers who went to the streets to pay respect to Nemtsov's memory won't pose a threat to the Kremlin rule. There will still be millions who support the state, dutifully rallying behind the flag against the West and warning of chaos that may come if Putin is dismissed.

One hope remains, however: a palace coup. Other politicians, frightened by the prospect of untimely death in Putin's Russia, may decide to put an end to Putinism.

© (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015.

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

28 Comments
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"One hope remains, however: a palace coup. Other politicians, frightened by the prospect of untimely death in Putin’s Russia, may decide to put an end to Putinism."

Well he has disappeared for the last ten days. Has a regime change occurred or will he surface? Stay tuned.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Because he is always criminal. Funny how that works.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Russians are almost as bad as Japanese when it comes to the "We Russians..." angle.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

The indigenous Russian populous do seem to succumb to a succession of Ivan the Terrible interspersed with Nikolai the Nauseous. Putin political puppetry ever present on Japan Today.

The conjectural assumption that the European Union is unwilling to accept Russia as an equal is absurd claptrap. Putinism is just a political pseudonym for 80's style soviet thuggish authoritarian government, whilst a thinly disguised appearance of opposition is maintained. In Boris Nemtsov case ruthlessly murdered.

Any politically active party that achieves even a minor foothold in opposition is subjected to a relentless campaign of brutal harassment. State staged managed poles and elections are aided and abetted by a state staged managed media. Censorship backed up by intimidation are daily occurrences. Only for the Russian emigrate does the penny finally begin to drop, that the people of Russia are being subjected to systematic state repression, with all the implications to freedom of speech, assembly and movement.

The saddest aspect of all, if it wasn't Putin it would be some other Soviet style ghastly government gremlin. Meet the new boss same as the old boss.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

I applaud Mrs. Krushcheva for being able to admit that there is such rottenness plaguing Russia. I fear that she is right that there is no hope for democracy in the near future there and the only solution is to build walls, at least metaphorically, that are as high as possible...

5 ( +7 / -2 )

Well, Russians have only been exposed to limited freedoms for a very short amount of time. You have to understand these people mostly know nothing but Communism at its worst and the current generations would be heavily influenced by the cynicisms of the Soviet era. However, Russians need to man up and take some responsibility for their country and where it's headed; Realpolitik is only tolerable up to a certain point..

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Hi paulinusa, Time to raise a glass, I do believe congratulations are in order .......

Allegedly Tzar Vlad the Virile has been 'wetting the babies head' in the land of the Lötscher..(cuckoo clock)...

Missing Putin ‘in Switzerland for birth of love child’........

http://nypost.com/2015/03/13/putin-in-switzerland-for-birth-of-his-lovechild/

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Nina Krushcheva is like an old party liner. Every word Is calculated to support and follow the current U.S. line on Russia. As an emigre she looks like an authentic Russia expert. As party liner she skewers the truth plainly lies.

As case in point. She writes that "...Nemtsov, once a deputy prime minister and Putin colleague, was the first prominent politician to lose his life to Putinism." Fact: we do not know this. We do know Islamists were arrested in this case and one confessed. Since then, the Western media has said precious little about Nemtsov. I mean next to nothing. Until we get information to the contrary this is the best we have. Saying something is true when there is no proof is to lie.

N.K. writes, 'Roughly 90% of the population receives information from the Kremlin-controlled TV networks...." That is meant to imply something bad and strange. But it an analogous case with the West and Western media, especially the U.S. She continues, "Russian media...are afire with U.S. bashing and European Union thrashing because of their unwillingness to accept Russia as an equal." In fact the anger is generated by sanctions. There is a lot of popular anger against the US has been generated by sanctions. Sanctions have given Putin is boost in popularity, not some inborn generality regarding the Russian soul.

N.K. is careful not to bash the U.S. and Western Europe. She mentions NATO but says nothing about the broken promise to Gorbachev to not expand NATO in Eastern Europe, for instance.

Maybe N.K,'s book on Nabokov is good. Her political writings are garbage.

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

@Kabukilover

Every word Is calculated to support and follow the current U.S. line on Russia.

I think she believes it from having an outside view of Putin bizarro world. What is your excuse for towing the Russian line?

But it an analogous case with the West and Western media, especially the U.S

Nope. There are at least three major TV news corporations, none of which has a direct link to the government. Outside the US there are probably many more. Then we have newspapers owned by other corporations and the Internet. And that doesn't include non-mainstream news including sites like this. The English speaking world is pretty massive (~5 times that of Russian and many times more countries). There really is no place for lies to hide, unlike in Russia.

She mentions NATO but says nothing about the broken promise to Gorbachev to not expand NATO in Eastern Europe, for instance.

You really need to get these things in writing. And not wait ten years after the Baltic states join NATO to complain. Otherwise it is just Russian deviousness.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

There must be something Putin is doing right> Nationalism? Bribing the electorate? Or maybe Russinas see a lot of Western posturing and "concern" for what it really is - just foreign policy hypocrisy designed to take their voters minds off the mess that still prevails in the Western developed economies.....

-6 ( +0 / -6 )

In Russia, the old saying goes, the tsar is always right.

It is not such "old saying" in Russia, sorry.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

@ scipantheistMAR. 16, 2015 - 03:44PM JST

That's "toe the line" not "tow the line."

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

You really need to get these things in writing.

Russians learned this lesson well. They did not believe the sweet US talk "believe us, antimissile system in Europe is not against you, it's against Iran and North Korea" and demanded to write it down in a legally-binding agreement. Americans were very disappointed. And why nobody trusts them now?

-7 ( +0 / -7 )

Throughout Russian history, the population has supported its leaders regardless of the policies they implement, often despite them.

In such case Russia never became largest state in the world.

To say the truth EU&Japan readers need actual information about Russia

Most part of available info unfortunately not realistic.

The main problem in such situation - possible conflicts as a result of misunderstanding

-7 ( +1 / -8 )

I have visited Russia several times and never heard that saying.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Hi Olegek, Political leaders are destined to come and go, not take root. The people of Russia are proud and peace loving. The West, EU have nothing but respect for Russia. Leaders of government in every country have to be challenged and criticized, power will eventually corrupt whoever insists on refusing to relinquish it..........

EU and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization want to see Russia weak and brought to its knees ......This is nothing more that rhetorical propaganda, the EU is at a crossroads both economically and politically.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

itsonlyrocknroll This is nothing more that rhetorical propaganda, the EU is at a crossroads both economically and politically.

Hello

Sorry - if it is not so difficult - try to look at globe... I don't know who is on crossroad... May be Russia may be China....

May be India

The Europe has a glorious past

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

@Burning Bush

I noticed you didn't say anything about the mainstream TV or newspapers in Russia. If you make it so that you have to read english to get facts, that is no kind of freedom of information. Also there is this lovely list of websites blocked in Russia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_censorship_in_Russia#Instances_of_censorship. I'm well aware the US has a similar page. The difference? We don't block wikipedia!!! Nothing is blocked in the US because it might encourage "mass events". Russians are living the dream of 1984.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

scipantheistMAR. 17, 2015 - 03:07AM JST @Burning Bush I noticed you didn't say anything about the mainstream TV or newspapers in Russia. If you make it so that you have to read english to get facts, that is no kind of freedom of information

OK now we have Internet - all that you have to say you can translate in Russian and give to Russian people

The main problem today - West just have nothing to say to Russian people

Zero

It's a real big problem.

Nothing is blocked in the US

Are you really living in the USA ?

-6 ( +1 / -7 )

@Olegek

Are you really living in the USA ?

Yes. Nothing is blocked in the US because it might encourage "mass events" or "extremism". The only things that are blocked are child porn and copyrighted materials.

West just have nothing to say to Russian people

G7 has five times the population of Russia and seven times the countries. And you have no interest in what we say. Indeed this is a real big problem. On your end.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

@Burning Bush

Re: the Internet: Prove it. You talk a big game, but this is all just Russian deviousness and false equivalency. BRICS ain't your allies and they don't have "five times the countries" of the G7 or the G20 or NATO. Oh and we hear the filth that comes out of Russian media and we ignore it because it does the same thing you do: lie and deflect from the fact that you have no freedom of speech.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

scipantheist Yes. Nothing is blocked in the US because it might encourage "mass events" or "extremism". The only things that are blocked are child porn and copyrighted materials.

Some info is blocked ? OK

So if I want to put instruction about bomb assembling - it's allowed ? Or if I want organise anti-government mass protests - no problems at all ? Or you openly collect info about violation of the law by the current government?

Did you hear something about Patriotic Act ? Homeland Security? Only for bad guys ?

Today US President can send in prison or kill any US citizen even without boring procedures in court . A lot of things are changed in your country since 11 09 2001

G7 has five times the population of Russia and seven times the countries. And you have no interest in what we say. Indeed this is a real big problem. On your end.

The main problem today - West just have nothing to say to Russian people. - I should repeat it one more time. We have talk about freedom of info not available for Russian.

To say the truth - available even in Russian - but you should have something to say .

It is something new for you but today western mass media totally lost information war in Russia. When Russian people reading such articles - they only laughing.

(It's like Soviet propaganda in West during cold war in 80th) . It does not work anymore.

Next point - anyone who wants to threaten Russia should attentively compaire resources controled by French Empire and Russian Empire in 1812 and 3th Reih and USSR in 1941

-6 ( +1 / -7 )

@Olegek

Or if I want organise anti-government mass protests - no problems at all

Certainly, this is allowed. Republicans do it all the time to the Democratic president. The Patriot act had nothing to do with freedom of speech, that was serveilance. As for the president violating my civil rights. Yeah, that can happen... IF I happen to be on the ground in Syria, Pakistan, or Yemen. I'll take those chances. Haven't heard any good argument that Russia isn't a non-democracy without freedom of speech.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

scipantheist Or if I want organise anti-government mass protests - no problems at all Certainly, this is allowed. Republicans do it all the time to the Democratic president.

Sorry my dear friend - Democrats and Republicans - it's a two halves of the same apple...

May be I disappoint you but american democracy TODAY - it is some sort of TV show...

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

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