Seven Important Russian Observations

Paul Goble

            Staunton, November 3 – There are far too many useful and important Russian commentaries for Window on Eurasia to survey with any degree of completeness. Consequently, Windows will periodically issue listings of what seem especially important insights.  This is the first such listing. More will follow irregularly in the coming weeks.

            Today, there are seven insightful observations that should not be missed:

1.      Khrushchev was anti-Stalinist but not anti-communist; Putin is an anti-communist but not an anti-Stalinist (graniru.org/opinion/rudensky/m.265313.html).

2.      The inclusion of the word “forgive” on the newly dedicated Wall of Shame about the victims of the Soviet system vitiates much of the importance of that monument. For such crimes, any forgiveness is inappropriate (kasparov.ru/material.php?id=59FB67B120C59).

3.      Russians would have seen their incomes rise even more when oil prices were high if not for Vladimir Putin’s policies of allowing most of that wealth to flow to himself and his client oligarchs (kasparov.ru/material.php?id=59FB6B4B14593).

4.      Dmitry Medvedev and much of the Russian government have become luddites with respect to new technology, something that will limit Russia’s growth for a time but ultimately will be overcome by the power of economic change (kasparov.ru/material.php?id=59FB4C8F5D0BB).

5.      Russia’s Day of National Unity should be a real holiday, but Russians’ lack of interest in it is a reflection of their misfortunes (snob.ru/selected/entry/130874).

6.      Russians assumed in 1917, 1991, and now that doing away with a hated system will guarantee that a good one will replace it and that the evils of the past won’t return (novayagazeta.ru/articles/2017/11/03/74439-sto-let-nazad-sto-let-vpered).

7.      Russia currently lies in a coma, from which it may recover or it may die (kasparov.ru/material.php?id=59FC1B2563EF1).