Putinism

[Arthur Gordon Pym]

Putinism

The Washington Times

Richard W. Rahn

September 20, 2007

BUCHAREST, Romania. -- Putinism (noun) — a Russian nationalistic authoritarian form of government that pretends to be a free market democracy. Month by month, President Putin of Russia has been erecting a new authoritarian model that owes more of its lineage to fascism than communism.

Unlike Soviet communism, the new Russian state does not seek to direct every aspect of political and economic life. Instead, through limited, direct control and intimidation, plus strategic investments in both institutions and people, not only in Russia but other nations as well, the Kremlin seeks to ensure favorable global press and decisions beneficial to its interests from political and business leaders around the world.

Here in Eastern Europe, it has been noticed some politicians who take a Kremlin-friendly line suddenly seem to have more campaign funds. Infrastructure projects, particularly in the energy sector, that are perceived to be most beneficial to Russia's long-term interest more easily find sources of funding. Media sources and companies that follow a more pro-Russian line seem to suddenly prosper. The Putinists are not so crude as to leave direct fingerprints of the true sources of these funds.

A Russian or even an American businessman may be led to understand that his profitable Russian related business will only continue if he invests in certain specified projects, advertises in specified media, or contributes to specified social or policy organizations. And much of it is perfectly legal. Occasionally, this Russian influence peddling is more transparent, as in Gazprom, the Russian state's gas monopoly, hiring former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.

In many ways, it is much easier for the Russian authoritarians to gain power and influence now that they have been freed from having to defend the indefensible communist political and economist model. For the most part, the Putinists accept the price system as the best way to allocate resources and motivate production.

They have endorsed private ownership and private enterprise — no one is advocating the renationalization of restaurants. Yet, their desire to control has caused them to buy or seize sizable equity stakes in the major Russian export industries — oil and gas and some metals — and virtually all of the mass media. Knowledgeable Europeans, and particularly Eastern Europeans, are increasingly concerned by the Kremlin's none-too-subtle attempts to influence or even control their political and economic decision making and undermine NATO.

Unlike the communists with their mass repression, killings, and gulags, the Putinists have been accused of selective murders and have imprisoned their media, business, and political critics, both inside and, in several instances, outside Russia. Putin apologists claim the murders are solely due to rogue elements, much like the prisoner abuse by a few American soldiers in Abu-Ghraib. The difference, of course, is that the Bush administration vigorously investigated and prosecuted the prisoner abuse cases, whereas not one of the Russian media and other suspected political assassinations has resulted in a conviction. However, recently a questionable arrest was made in the killing of well-known journalist and Putin critic, Anna Politkovskaya.

Putinism depends on the Russian economy growing rapidly enough that most people have rising standards of living and, in exchange, are willing to put up with the existing soft repression. But the Russian economy is still all too dependent on high, raw material prices — primarily energy — and when those prices come down, as they will at some point, the Kremlin's ability to control its own people and intimidate Europe will diminish.

As Putinism is increasingly recognized as undemocratic — the Kremlin already is in firm control of who can run for what office and who can win — it will be increasingly difficult for the Russian leader to be invited to summit meetings with the world's major democracies, let alone to Mr. Bush's or some future U.S. president's home.

Putinism cannot continue to exist as it now is. As Russia's economic fortunes change, Putinism is likely to become more repressive. Authoritarian regimes, unlike true free-market democracies, are inherently unstable and rarely end happily. All those politicians, media folk and business people outside Russia, who have been dining at the Kremlin trough, might also think about how history treats fellow travelers.

Richard W. Rahn is the chairman of the Institute for Global Economic Growth.

[source]

[Arthur Gordon Pym]

The neocon rambling at its best.

But this:

All those politicians, media folk and business people outside Russia, who have been dining at the Kremlin trough, might also think about how history treats fellow travelers.

Is this a kind of threat?

The article was also taken over by the lovely Brussels Journal.

From Communism to Putinism | The Brussels Journal

[Loorberitega Pärjatu]

Democracy, Putin and Russia in one sentence??? Give me a brake.

[Céleste]

Putins Russia is far more "democratic" than some of the baltic nations who are infiltrated by american policy!
Putin is one of the few politicians who is against liberalism and its goal to enslave the world.

What is democracy anyway? It does not exist.

[Kalevi]

Originally Posted by Céleste

Putins Russia is far more "democratic" than some of the baltic nations who are infiltrated by american policy!
Putin is one of the few politicians who is against liberalism and its goal to enslave the world.

What is democracy anyway? It does not exist.

Could you, at least for a start, agree with just one(1) of the following statements:

1. Putin's Russia is more democratic than the Baltic states.
2. Democracy doesn't exist.

[Loorberitega Pärjatu]

Originally Posted by Céleste

Putin is one of the few politicians who is against liberalism and its goal to enslave the world.

I think you made some mistakes in your sentence, I'll make it better:

Putin is one of many politicians who is against liberty and his goal is to enslave the world.

[Lucas Corso]

Originally Posted by Céleste

Putins Russia is far more "democratic" than some of the baltic nations who are infiltrated by american policy!
Putin is one of the few politicians who is against liberalism and its goal to enslave the world.

What is democracy anyway? It does not exist.

Just inflitrated?!?

The Lithuanian president was practically parachuted there from U$A...

[Arthur Gordon Pym]

Originally Posted by Lucas Corso

Just inflitrated?!?

The Lithuanian president was practically parachuted there from U$A...

Which one are you talking about?

I think Lithuanians had two presidents: one who wanted to have independent Lithuanian policy with normal relations with Russia and another one who was happy to be an American puppet.

[Leland Gaunt]

Originally Posted by Loorberitega Pärjatu

his goal is to enslave the world.

Hey, but this is my goal too! Enslaving the world is going under number 3 in my must-do list after attending lesbian feminists party and playing football in the crater of the moon.

[Arthur Gordon Pym]

Originally Posted by Loorberitega Pärjatu

Putin is one of many politicians who is against liberty and his goal is to enslave the world.

Even if he wanted to, he couldn't.

[Arthur Gordon Pym]

Originally Posted by Plethon

I think Lithuanians had two presidents: one who wanted to have independent Lithuanian policy with normal relations with Russia and another one who was happy to be an American puppet.

Rolandas Paksas was Lithuanian president from 2003 to 2004, for about a year. At the 2003 elections he had gained victory over the then favourite candidate Valdas Adamkus, who was president between 1998 and 2003 and was running for the second term. Adamkus had lived all of his life in the USA, in Chicago and came to Lithuania in 1990, when the country became independent. Paksas, unlike Adamkus, lived in Lithuania during all of his life.

After he became president, Paksas started to lead an independent policy, often defying orders from America and the EU. About a year after his victory at the elections, he was impeached under charges of corruption. From the first day that he ascended to the presidential seat, he was frowned upon by the Western powers. New elections were held in 2004 and the "politically correct" candidate Adamkus won.

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[Gladstone]

They are trying to paint Putin as some kind of Stalin/Hitler/Peter the Great, general despot figure.

If it's true that Putin is quite a multi-culturalist as most of the Russian posters at this site indicate, something I don't see any reason to doubt, it seems Putin's 'crime' in reality in the eyes of the US/UK was his (for whatever reason) taking on the Oligarchs.

Putin in this is a bit remindful of the Japanese at the time of WWII, whose 'Imperial Empire' and plans of an 'East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere' is very much an 'approved' idea (modeled as it was on the British Empire) in the same manner as multi-culturalism is approved in the present...the Japanese 'crime' being that they were doing these things independent of and not dominated by the US/UK. That independent exercize of power is seen as criminal in certain circles. Besides that the US wanted very badly to get itself in the war in Europe, and Japan provided a convenient 'back door' for that, a chance for the US/UK to get at 'two birds with one stone' as it were.

[Lucas Corso]

Originally Posted by Plethon

Which one are you talking about?

I think Lithuanians had two presidents: one who wanted to have independent Lithuanian policy with normal relations with Russia and another one who was happy to be an American puppet.

I was meaning Adamkus as American puppet...

[Loorberitega Pärjatu]

I'd like to ask in what way are Baltic states more American puppets than your own countries? "Normal relations with Russia"? Even Belarus or Moldova have problems .

[Arthur Gordon Pym]

Originally Posted by Loorberitega Pärjatu

I'd like to ask in what way are Baltic states more American puppets than your own countries? "Normal relations with Russia"? Even Belarus or Moldova have problems .

Yes, most of European countries are American puppets nowadays, because the governments of those countries want it so.

But I prefer national sovereignity and not being anyone's puppet.

[Loorberitega Pärjatu]

My dear friend from Croatia, you live far away from Russian borders. You are safe from Russian imperialism, the Serbs are no more danger to you. All the other neighbours are ok now, aren't they?

But there are always Russian forces that shout that WE, Estonians are not allowed to exist! If all the Russians were Svins, i'd just admire them... Russia doesn't want any good relations, it wants to expand, its citizens forget their poverty then. If all the money from oil and gas didn't go only to military purposes, there would be lots of possibilities to modernize the whole country now, but... It's wasted with senseless fighting with imagined foreign enemies. Believe me, I'd be the biggest supporter of wealthy self esteemed big-hearted Russia. The key is to fix inner problems .

[Céleste]

I agree with Plethon. Most baltic nations are puppets of american will; the american "way of life" does not stop expanding. But not only the Balts are just depended; (nearly)all of the western nations are, thus Germany as well as France ( Since Sarkozy extremely), and GB is obvious I guess.

Russia doesn't want any good relations, it wants to expand

Russia feels attacked, now that the Americans have their influences even in the Baltic provinces.