The Opposition
For the VOR http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_14/74677707/
Many countries all over the world have serious
social and political problems that lead to popular unrest,
demonstrations, instability, and in the extreme, to revolutions and the
over-throwing of governments.
One of those countries, and in fact one of the worst transgressors when
it comes to social justice, human rights and personal freedoms is the
United States of America, with its dozens of simmering internal
conflicts, reasons for massive discontent and massive underlying culture
of oppression.
The list is long and it is a daunting task to choose
where to begin, but almost any of the issues I would like to mention are
enough and would be enough to cause massive strife, if not for the fact
that the United States of America is a police state.
Let us start with that then if you will, for it is this fear of the
government that will in the end lead to its downfall. The US has for too
long tried and for the most part succeeded in ruling with an iron fist,
this can be testified to by the percentage of the US population in the
prison system or incarcerated at the local level. Imprisonment and the
taking away of freedom is one of the favored tools of the American
government. This has almost reached a level that can be called out of
control since September 11, 2001.
Another fact that must be looked at when making such an assessment is
something that no one is allowed to speak about, neither within the
format of an internal political or social debate nor when making
international assessments, it is taboo, and for the most part fear of
point one, and the state control of the media keeps the debate in check.
What I am talking about is the institutionalized racism that exists in
the US. As members of the white race group love to say, and you better
agree because it is a white man’s world, racism does not exist. If a
black or other non-white member of society makes such an accusation or
dares to speak out, it is usually white judges or white members of the
system that come to the finding that racism does not in fact exist, and
thus the system keeps the white members of society in power, in all of
the top level jobs and in control of the government.
This is a subject that deserves much more debate and careful analysis
than I can give it here, but when cases like Trayvon Martin bring the
debate to the forefront and comparisons are made where the state of
racism in America is said to be at 1950 levels, it is clear this is a
still a disease that Americans have yet to deal with openly honestly and
with a mind to end it. Of course those who benefit will do anything to
make sure this never happens, even the Ku Klux Klan is satisfied with
current level of affairs anhd maintains their official stance that when
the status quo is under threat they will begin their hangings again.
Other societal problems include Indian rights, immigrant rights,
religious persecution, an educational system that is inaccessible to
most of the population, the lack of decent well paying jobs, unfair
housing practices, unfair lending and banking rules, police brutality,
lack of privacy, lack of real freedom of movement, an unforgiving legal
system, no real retirement or social net for the elderly, a nationwide
housing problem, homelessness, lack of accessible and affordable medical
care, incredibly high taxes and no redress, endless wars against
abstract enemies and the list goes on and on, including indefinite
detention without trial and even death at the hands of the state if you
are deemed an enemy.
All of the aforementioned are real and existing problems that have
affected American society for decades but only now that they are
beginning to affect large sections of the white population are they
being talked about, thanks to the Occupy Movement. So why am I talking
about all of this in a piece about the Russian opposition? Well, because
all of these are real reasons for protests and rallies and
demonstrations and because Russia has almost none of these problems.
So what is the Russian opposition about? Depending on who you talk to
there are many reasons. However no one agrees on anything except that
Putin is bad. Why? Just because. They can not offer anything concrete or
factual but the accusations are as many as their fantasies allow.
What could they be protesting? Artificially high real estate prices
would be at the top of my list, but the opposition will not talk about
that because most of the “opposition” are people with their own flats
who are able to rent out their flats at incredibly unrealistically high
prices and get good credit to buy their expensive cars due to
artificially high real estate values. This also keeps young people at
home and prevents them from buying a flat and even renting one. That is
something else that people could protest. By the way President Putin is
already looking at these issues. They could be protesting healthcare
which is attempting to follow the US model and become super expensive,
without the same level of service, something else Mr. Putin has looked
at.
What else?
Jobs? Corruption? Pensions? President Putin has done more to create
jobs, fight corruption, and increase pensions than any other figure in
Russian politics. So then what?
Maybe there are a few people sucked into opposition rallies who have
real beefs, but there are legal ways and means in place in Russia for
people who really want to make a difference and the organizers and
funders of these events are not interested in such lowly people and
their causes. You don’t see exploited workers at these rallies, or
people from other cities, or non-Russians, or pensioners, or any of the
others who might really have something to complain about. Why because
they trust and voted for Putin and they love Putin.
Who do we see at these rallies? Mainly dissatisfied Muscovites, with
their own flat(s) who they rent out and don’t pay taxes on, who drive
expensive foreign cars, and were empowered by President Putin’s as well
as President Medvedev’s policies on business, property ownership,
taxation and freedom of speech. Most of these people are followers of
Yavlinsky and his Yabloko Party, long funded by the West, and other
Western leaning or Western funded “democratic” groups.
What do they
want? Exactly what those at the US Embassy want who are funding their
activities (according to Russian media) just get rid of the
democratically elected and very popular president Vladimir Putin and
make Russia look as bad as possible.
What has the opposition done to get what they want? Do they challenge
the leadership to debates, or introduce alternative plans, or candidates
that are trusted and believed and loved by the people? No! Do they
engage in constructive debate or fund and promote peaceful change? Do
they formulate workable plans to improve the situation in an area that
might be improved? Do they advocate even one position that the people
agree on? No? If they do please tell me because I have missed it.
So in reality, please, what have they done? Tied up traffic? Throw rocks
at and spit on the police? Exaggerate and promote anything that can
cause unrest, civil disorder and problems for the authorities. Nothing
positive. Yet we are almost not allowed to speak about them, or it must
be done with a disclaimer, lest we be accused by the ever present West
of being undemocratic or stifling dissent, by the West, what a joke, the
very masters at stifling dissent and shutting up the opposition.
In reality people are afraid to talk back at the opposition, lest they
not be given their Shengen or American visas or appear on some US
Embassy black list as I have. So I renounced the US. Maybe they are
right to be scared. I mean isn’t that what the US is expert at in
controlling the masses? First their own American masses and now the
world’s masses? Yes sirree Bob, if you bad mouth the US you may be the
target of a drone strike. And lo and behold if you dare to go up against
the US interference into the affairs of a sovereign nations, you will
end up in the worst of places my friend. They will get you. Doesn’t
matter if you are not even a US citizen like Victor Bout, they will come
and get you wherever you are.
I think it is time for the “opposition” to wake up but can they? They
are so tied into believing a dream propagated by the West, a dream that
is not and never will be for them. They have been manipulated by Western
mass media into believing the lies and the propaganda of the West to a
degree that they are blind to the very facts right in front of them. Or
they have been threatened and made afraid to speak their minds or stand
up to the West in fear of facing economic, business or other retribution
or being denied some privilege like a multi-entry visa.
So, please opposition, you have been given so much attention and media
coverage and have failed to put a message across. Be constructive and
organize and work within the democratic legal framework of the Russian
constitution if you really have something to say other than parroting
the orders of your western masters.
Have a nice day!