Man of the Year?
By GARRY KASPAROV
December 22, 2007; Page A11
Ever since President Vladimir Putin took office eight long years ago, the political and media leadership of the West have had a full-time job trying to look on the bright side of Russia’s rapid turn from democracy.
The free press has been demolished, elections are canceled and rigged, and then we hear how popular Mr. Putin is. Opposition marches are crushed, and we’re told — over and over — how much better off we are today than in the days of the Soviet Union. This week Time magazine named Mr. Putin its 2007 “Person of the Year.”
Unfortunately, there is no silver lining to Russia’s descent into dictatorship. If anything there is a look of iron to it.
Condoleezza Rice, hardly a Putin critic, said recently that Russia “is not an environment in which you can talk about free and fair elections.” A good start, but this comment was not made where one would imagine — perhaps at a press conference insisting that Putin’s Russia be removed from the G-7 for making a mockery of democratic practices. No, her remark came as a side note to her very early endorsement of Mr. Putin’s handpicked heir to the throne, Dmitry Medvedev.
The most revealing moment in Ms. Rice’s comments came when the topic of Mr. Medvedev as the next president was first broached. The official transcript reads: “SECRETARY RICE: Well, I guess, they’re still going to have an election in March.
Perhaps my sense of humor was dulled during the five days I spent in a Moscow jail last month for protesting against these sham elections. Or maybe it was reading about the constant persecution of my fellow activists across the country that did it. Madam Secretary went on to speak approvingly of Mr. Medvedev, making the undemocratic nature of his selection sound like a minor annoyance. The last remaining element of democracy in Russia, the transition of power, will be destroyed. Will Mr. Putin and his successor still be welcomed with open arms in the club of leading democracies?
Here is the full story.
Kasparov should have stuck to chess.
I think President Putin’s reaction will be “It’s my country, and I’ll do what I want with it. If you don’t respect the government, you go to the Gulag.”
Strange to find a political story in this apolitical chess blog.
How many chessplayers could get their opinions printed in the Wall Street Journal? I have a great deal of respect for Mr. Kasparov for taking the fame he won as a chessplayer and using it to challenge an oppressive regime in Russia.
Only chess players/fans will be dumb enough to support Kasparov. Sometimes I am glad we (the chess players) are in the minority. Chess does not make good sound minded people with good political skills. The immense popularity of Kasparov amongst chess players is my proof of this statement. :))
To give pople like me some leave-way, not all chess players are neccesarily bad. :-))
Kasparov lobbying for the removal
of Russia of G8 !?
Kasparov begging the “international
community” to weaken and isolate his own country ??!
Kasparov is an agent,a pawn,a darling of the international media.
In fact, he gets even less criticism of the western media than Putin gets from Russian media.
VERY FEW russians would like a man who is trying to weaken their own country.
This man is not an hero, he’s a selfish man with an ego larger than the size of Russia.
He represents the geopolitical
interests of the West, if you don’t realize this, it means you’re deaf,blind, ignorant or biased.
He’s driven by hatred and dislike
of a man who is still supported by a majority of russians.
N.
Kasparov is somewhat making a fool of himself and should indeed have stuck to chess where he was brilliant. His political views are naive at best.
Vladimir Putin is still cleaning up after Boris Yeltsin´s economical and social mess. Russia has throughout history always been at its most potent when under very strict rule and discipline.
Russia has and probably never will be a “western” country. Neither will they inherit our social values. We should respect their different choice of political system instead of shoving our capitalist democracy down their throats.
Dont tell me a system where George Bush can cheat his way into office is any better.
Wow. I’m surprised by the amount of criticism on Kasparov in this blog.I am not claiming that he should be president of Russia; At the very least,though,he should be allowed to speak his mind.Putin may have made Russia strong again,but I cannot accept the way he strangles political opposition.
P.S. Are people in Russia really happy?I don’t know,I am just asking…
My opinion is that people in Russia see their country gaining status in the world, and want this state of affairs to continue. It is certainly a small group of intellectuals with a lot of Western support that is doing MOST (not all, but most) of the shouting.
Susan,
Don’t you find it amazing that as soon as a chess blog publishes a pro-Kasparov story, there are half a dozen instant comments bagging Kasparov and praising Putin.
It surely proves the popularity of chess in Russia and the positive reputation of Kasparov that the Russian government can devote manpower to trawling chess blogs for Kasparov articles and then try to undermine him.
Politics and Chess have a long historical partnership. Especially when GM Polgar “Broke through” the iron curtain when she and her team mates soundly defeated the Soviet Union with chess. It was forshadowing that lead to the eventual freedom of Hungary and other Eastern Block countries from Russian influnce with the CCCP collapsed on the weight of its own corruption.
People who romantasize about old Russia are delusional if not misinformed. It must be sad to be a parroting brainwashed robot.
GM Kasparov represents free ideas. Even if some of his ideas make some people nervous, they are still free ideas devoid of the error of the Russian political monster.
Anonymous monday 9:55 am :
It seems all you know about Russia
comes from western mainstream press. Have you been there, did you study russian language and literature, are you actually REALLY interested in the history of the country ?
You look like a well-educated parrot yourself.
There is of course no link between political freedom and chess : how come then the USSR was so extremely
powerful in chess ??
The facts you mentioned : sheer coincidence. In every sport, even the mightiest lose from time to time.
You’re not capable of logical thinking and analyzing history correctly, because you’re hindered by your moral and emotions.
You’re a moralist.
It’s not because you adhere to
moral values acknowledged by a majority of people that you’re an intelligent person.
It must be wonderful to be a well-educated parrot, so keep up the good work !
N
Wow! Struck a nreve with Mr. “N”, did I?
Russian were good at chess because it was institutionalized like every other aspect of Russian life. The state created the school, Russian attended the school. End of story there. You can force anyone to be good at anything if that is their only option.
Well in reply to your flustered message, I would simply say I do not need to be poor and backward to understand Russian society. Yes, I am well versed in Russian history and Literature, however I am somewhat dissapointed in the Russian people for not having the courage and yes, moral fortitude, to do what a government cannot provide for them: a free society. People like to blame the west for Russia’s failures, but all I see is a bunch of drunk cry babies who puff-up and posture when thing aren’t going their way. Who do they call when they need help? Oh yes, the United States of America. Russia eats our grain and receives billions of dollars in support. I have no need to parrot. I am a single member of an elite society who can think for herself. My society produces powerful people from all levels of economic backgrounds while Russia has an elite few and millions and millions of poor. No wonder Russians vote for people like Putin. They are desparate! Just like the Germans were desparate when they brought Hitler to power. Dictators are the heroes of the poor and backward. Welcome to Russia tovarisch. Тамбо́вский волк тебе́ това́рищ.
I repeat :
no connection between political freedom and chess.
That’s what you first suggested,
but you cannot give any historical/scientific proof for it.
Your dislike for SU/Russia is so big, that you even blame it for the things that actually went well, for example educating people to become top chess players.
By the way : nowadays Russia is NOT
the same as the former SU, it is not even its successor state.
It’s quite common to blame Russia for everything that went wrong during the years of the Soviet Union.
Lady, you’re an ignorant snob.
“Bunch of drunk cry babies who blablabla…” : RUBBISH.
If there’s anything they are not,
it’s cry babies.
They are used to, and can endure much more hardship than the average citizen in the West.
They don’t eat your grain, do you actually believe this yourself ??
Russia doesn’t get billions of money ; everything exported to Russia is paid for by Russia.
All of its debts have been repaid to the Paris Club in the meantime.
It is true they received some aid for securing their nuclear arsenal during the chaos of the nineties,
but this is really insignificant compared to the aid most of the other former communist countries received and are still receiving from western countries and various organizations and supranational bodies (ex. : EU donations to it
newest members an members-to-be,
American aid for Georgia,…).
Russians don’t blame the West for “their failures”, although they
certainly would appreciate if the
West would stick it’s nose not so often in Russia’sinternal affairs.
Russians are not desparate : they hope things will improve, and things will improve, both politically and economically, no matter what the western press is saying and predicting.
Comparing Putin to Hitler (or Stalin) is just an emotional cry of dislike, it doesn’t stand any serious historical analysis.
Hey your comment is full of hateful clichés , so please allow me just this small one : you’re a real American, sticking your nose into other people’s affairs, pretending to know all about other countries and cultures, but in reality you don’t have a clue.
N.
Obviously, I am wasting my time having dialouge with Mr. N.
Chess gives people an opportunity to compete peacefully; however from what history has taught, despotic regimes have tried to hijack chess to server theri own political agendas: Russian Chess Federation and FIDE.
As for my American nose, I am free to stick it where ever I please without fear of the FSB. You on the otherhand, cannot say the same if you live in Russia.. Just look what they did to GM Kasparov! Shameful! And Russia calls itself a Democracy? What a joke! One big sick joke!