On 16 October 2012
Despite civil protests in Russia, it is difficult to see how a transition to democracy can occur since the opposition lacks cohesion - a regrettable legacy of Russia's past
The unprecedented 2011-2012 civil protests in post-Soviet Russia seemed to portend a change. The trading of places between Vladimir Putin and Dmitri Medvedev, with the latter having announced that the decision had been made a long time in advance, was largely accepted as a disregard for the Russian public.
However, few in Moscow believe in the protest movement today. The middle class, who constitute the driving force behind the opposition, do not possess a political mechanism to convey their requests to the government. Yearning for respect and fairness, they lack the political leadership. In order to understand the current protest dynamics and whether they could succeed, it is important to recall that the corruption and lawlessness that they are protesting against were not spawned by Mr Putin. He inherited them. To Read More.....
My Take - Russian society has always been a mystery to Americans. It should be. We have nothing in our history to compare and develop understanding. The thing that drives me crazy is when I hear politicians and academics mouthing how to fix Russia by just explaining what to do…and expecting them to understand and comply. Stupidity!
You can’t reason people out of positions they haven’t been reasoned into. You can’t alter an entire culture that has been built on centuries of central planning and corruption by….explaining….it to them. All that is going on in Russia is a cultural paradigm; this has been their history forever. RK
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