Zhirinovsky Says There’s Never Been and Never Will Be Democracy in Russia

Paul Goble

            Staunton, February 7 – Fools and children, it is sometimes said, reveal more of the truth than those more integrated into the normal adult population.  Vladimir Zhirinovsky, the outspoken and flamboyant leader of the absurdly misnamed Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, is one of them as a new video clip shows.

            Speaking before a Russian audience, the presidential candidate is challenged to give his assessment of the Russian Constitution’s specification that “all power derives from the people.” Zhirinovsky says “no.” That isn’t true now, never has been and never will be (facebook.com/Svobodanaroda/videos/784892058359540/).

            The woman who asked that question followed up with another. If that is the case, she said, “why then do you sit there in front of us?” to which Zhirinovsky responds: “I do so to explain the situation so there won’t be any fools like you left around.”

            “You were promised power in 1917,” he continued. “Did you get it? Yeltsin promised power and democracy in 1991? Did you get them?” The answer is no, the LDPR head said, because “never in any country of the world has power belonged to the people … No one is ever going to give you power.”

 “Power [at least in Russia] is always in the hands of the mafia, criminals and the corrupt – from tsarist times up to now,” he continued. Having won applause for that line, Zhirinovsky turned to his questioner and said: “You little fool. Get out of here. You’re mad.”