Mike Averko (who expressed no opinion one way or the other) sent me an article from CounterPunch, written by Mike Whitney entitled, Why the Council on Foreign relations Hates Putin
The article begins with an overview of the recent parliamentary elections in Russia and speaks to Vladimir Putin’s popularity. The main points are:
Putin’s popularity derives from many factors. He is personally clever and charismatic. He is fiercely nationalistic and has worked tirelessly to improve the lives of ordinary Russians and restore the country to its former greatness. He has raised over 20 million Russians out of grinding poverty, improved education, health care and the pension system, (partially) nationalized critical industries, lowered unemployment, increased manufacturing and exports, invigorated Russian markets, strengthened the ruble, raised the overall standard of living, reduced government corruption, jailed or exiled the venal oligarchs, and amassed capital reserves of $450 billion.
Russia is no longer up for grabs like it was after the fall of the Soviet Union. Putin put an end to all of that. He reasserted control over the country’s vast resources and he’s using them to improve the lives of his own people. This is a real departure from the 1990s, when the drunken Yeltsin steered Russia into economic disaster by following Washington’s neoliberal edicts and by selling Russia’s Crown Jewels to the vulturous oligarchs.
Putin put Russia’s house back in order; stabilized the ruble, strengthened economic/military alliances in the region, and removed the corporate gangsters who had stolen Russia’s national assets for pennies on the dollar. The oligarchs are now all either in jail or have fled the country. Russia is no longer for sale.
As for oligarchies, Putin is no less an oligarch as any member of the Yeltsin oligarchy, the business tycoons, the Luzkhov oligarchy, the Chubais oligarchy, and others (where they still exist). Vladimir Putin’s oligarchy consists primarily of former security services personalities and critical industry leaders. Putin has used the power of his oligarchy to stamp out the competition.
But here is the bottom line of the article, to my thinking:
Russia is, once again, a major world power and a vital source of hydrocarbons. It’s star is steadily rising just as America’s has begun to wane.
So, all of Russia’s success is a terrible affront to western governments - not just the United States, but all of those other western nations who supposedly don’t like us anymore because of Iraq.
This article ignores the United States government’s support for removing the Russian economy from the rubble of the Soviet collapse.
Mike Whitney talks about the undeserved scorn Putin receives from the western media, as well. Now, I find it interesting that there is a topic on which western governments and western media agree. Think about all the Bush-bashing that happens in western media, yet there is apparent agreement on scorn for Putin’s tactics? Then there is John Edwards and Jack Kemp, under the auspices of the Council on Foreign relations (CFR) - these guys agree with the media, western governments, and the president on the tactics of the Russian president too. All of these groups with obvious political differences - Why? Well, according to Mike Whitney, it is because Putin is not a globalist and the rest of these folks are.
What actually worries western governments - not just the United States - is the consolidation of power Putin has managed by doing such things as:
- Having opposition candidates disqualified from election ballots for remote regions of Russia
- Repealing direct elections of governors - which impacts the oblasts’ local governments, judicial appointments, and control of local media
- Consolidating 89 individual governments with 7 Kremlin-appointed multi-district leaders
- Closed or taken over all independent media outlets
- Removed the elections of individuals - you vote for a party only - and only the parties approved by the Duma may participate. The Duma is controlled by United Russia.
Something else which concerns western governments is Russia’s push to regain military prominence - Russia’s projection of force.
- Russia is once again a significant naval power in the Mediterranean Sea
- Russia is planning to re-open bases in Syria
- Russia is assisting Iran with Nuclear facility development at Bushehr
- Russia is now the worlds number one arms dealer - yes, even surpassing the US
- Russia recently resumed strategic nuclear bomber flights, which had ceased in 1992
Another factor the article doesn’t seem to consider is why Putin is so popular among Russians (particularly). The democratic experiment in Russia was an abysmal failure. It was unexpected to some degree and the opportunity was seized upon rather late. After 70 years of complete dependence on government for everything, Russians were suddenly expected to do for themselves. And this in an economic and social environment which made doing for oneself very difficult.
Also, the role of the government was not well understood by many officials. Crime became rampant because the government no longer controlled which criminals were allowed and which criminals were pursued. In many instances, low-level aparatchiks found crime easier than working for a living.
It’s true. Russians have benefited economically from Putin’s leadership, while being elevated from the threat of being considered a third world country - and diminished political clout by individual Russians is the price? The west had greater hopes for democracy in Russia, yet Russians have never had a political voice. So, what do they care? You can’t eat a vote. Mike Whitney states:
Putin’s real crime is that he serves Russia’s national interests rather than the interests of global Capital. He also rejects Washington’s “unipolar” world model. As he said in Munich:
“The unipolar world refers to a world in which there is one master, one sovereign; one center of authority, one center of force, one center of decision-making. At the end of the day this is pernicious not only for all those within this system, but also for the sovereign itself because it destroys itself from within.
“What is even more important is that the model itself is flawed because at its basis there is and can be no moral foundations for modern civilization.”
He added:
“We are seeing a greater and greater disdain for the basic principles of international law….We are witnessing an almost uncontained hyper use of force — military force — in international relations, force that is plunging the world into an abyss of permanent conflicts. I am convinced that we have reached that decisive moment when we must seriously think about the architecture of global security.”
Well said, Vladimir.
Putin’s no saint, but he doesn’t deserve the thrashing he gets from the western media.
Agreed! Putin’s real crime is that he serves Russia’s national interests - at any cost. At the cost of removing self-determination from Russian policy; re-escalating the nuclear arms race; creating more unbalance in the middle east; of creating suspicion and security concern in Europe; of creating security concern in Asia. The very thing several western leaders, especially George Bush, are accused as villains for by the liberal left is OK for Vladimir Putin.
Interesting.
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