Teaching Comparative

Establishment and Critics

In the run-up to the G8 meeting, critics of Putin and the status quo in Russia are meeting and Putin is meeting with the foreign press to defend the state of things.

First the New York Times report on the dissidents' meeting and the silence of the Russian media.

Rights Activists Call for Russian Evolution

"Hundreds of advocates of civil society and opposition figures opened a two-day conference here on Tuesday, protesting the authoritarian streak that they say defines Mr. Putin’s Kremlin and its hold on the Russian state...
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Those attending the conference, held in advance of a meeting of the leaders of the Group of 8 industrial nations scheduled to begin in St. Petersburg this weekend, called themselves The Other Russia.

"They said their ideals — including free elections, respect for opposing views and human rights and fair distribution of public wealth — were a counterpoint to Russia’s recent political course...

"Participants said more than 40 of their members had been arrested throughout Russia while traveling to the conference here or to St. Petersburg for the Group of 8 meeting...

"The protests and the police actions were ignored by Russian news programs, which are securely under the Kremlin’s sway..."

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (no longer heard in most of Russia) also reported on that meeting.

Russia: Opposition, NGOs Gather Ahead Of G8 Summit

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Meanwhile, Putin was granting interviews to foreign reporters and criticizing Western attitudes and words in a defensive, Slavophile way.


The BBC report on the interviews is Putin rebuffs 'colonialist' West

"Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Western critics of Russia's record on democracy of using "colonialist" rhetoric.

"In TV interviews, he said it was unacceptable for the West to use the issue to interfere in Russia's affairs.

"He singled out US Vice-President Dick Cheney, who earlier this year accused Mr Putin of backsliding on democracy.

"Pro-democracy campaigners have been pressuring the West to raise the issue at a G8 summit in Russia this weekend...

"Talking to France's LCI television, which translated his remarks, Mr Putin accused critics in the West of using Russian 'colonialist' language towards Russia.

"'If you look at newspapers of 100 years ago, you see how, at the time, colonialist states justified their policies in Africa or in Asia. They talked of their civilising role, of the white man's mission,' he said.

"'If you change the word 'civilising' to 'democratisation', you find the same logic, you can read the same things in the press today.'...

"He called Mr Cheney's criticism of Russia's record 'a failed hunting shot'."

The Washington Post report is Putin Rips Cheney's Verbal 'Hunting Shot'


The official text of the interview is at the Web site of the Russian President.

posted by Ken Wedding @ 9:25 AM