Russian Deja vu (Eng)

(I wrote this before the news of Yeltsin’s death today. And just astonished what a coincidence – see below)

Reading news from Russia these days makes me feel a bit furious and very much uncomfortable. Marches of people of the streets, trying to deliver some important information and point of view to other part of the society, are being dissolved and harassed. Leaders of opposition including human rights campaigners are being arrested and/or interrogated by KGB (sorry, but this does look like KGB rather than FSB). Is something wrong with the people there? Are they completely brainwashed? Or are we so diverged from them that we don’t understand each other anymore?

Why on earth somebody proclaiming views which differ from those of the government should be automatically doomed as ‘terrorist’ or ‘extremist’? I admit I don’t know official interpretation of these terms in Russian legislation. I do want to read what exactly they call extremism and why. Just need time to do that.

It just feels so much like watching Belarus news back in 2004-2006. Somehow we in Ukraine knew that Russia took a different path, but we could not imagine how different it is from ours. It’s just like sequel of Lukashenka’s war with opposition. Is it all they can do about the pluralism of opinions in their 142-million country?

Where is Russian intelligentsia? Where are the dissidents and those who have been so active in demonising Soviet Union just about 7-10 years ago? Don’t tell me they all are dead or emigrated. They are just silent. Or they are not but we can’t hear their voices because: (1) they don’t have access to press or television; (2) they don’t have access to representative local and regional councils or parliament – new legislation is designed in such a way that nobody outside ‘hand-fed’ parties’ circle could get in.

So isn’t it vicious circle? People don’t have information channels to present their different ideas and views; they create organisations and movements to share their views with like-minded; they get together to bring these ideas to the wider public; they are arrested and prosecuted; they are labelled extremists; ‘common people’ do not understand them and hate them; isolation and lack of access to media/public auditoriums.

I don’t want to be too cynical, but those people saying, that Ukraine is a complete mess, are they blind or just stupid? Watching Russian or Belarusian news is it the kind of order we want for ourselves? Is it the kind of leadership we are looking for? I don’t think so. Whatever mess our politicians and so called leaders might create the richness of information and plethora of opinions means that nobody is forced to believe in something readily prepared and nicely wrapped in ‘stability package’.

Some recent polls showed that about 30% of Ukrainians would compromise their freedoms at the exchange of order and stability. Fair statement for Ukrainians, who have always been quite reluctant to participate in any conflicts beyond their house yard (well, until 2004). But are they sure that the notion of order and stability they have is the same what is on the minds of the main preachers of stability in our country: Communists, Party of Regions and Socialists? Let us check.

I don’t want have the same deja vu in Ukraine in 2 years time. Do you?