Grigory Pasko: Will the Real Vladimir Putin Please Stand Up?
The recently published report by Boris Nemtsov and Vladimir Milov presents heaps of evidence showing that over the time of Vladimir Putin’s rule corruption has sharply increased, while the life expectancy of average Russian citizens has fallen (a translation of the document is provided on La Russophobe). The country has turned into a raw-materials appendage of the developed world, they argue, while terrorism and the war in the Caucasus are not abating, roads still haven’t been built, the gap of social inequality in society is widening, the pension reform has tanked, and of course the Putinite rackets of pork barrel spending are flourishing – Olympiad 2014 in Sochi, the APEC-2012 summit in Vladivostok and the «South stream» and «Nord stream» gas pipelines…
The authors make this kind of conclusion: «Now we know the answer to the question: «Who is Mr. Putin?» Putin– this is corruption, censorship, the raw-materials dependence of Russia, social inequality, depopulation. Deputinization of Russia — the only chance to lead the country out of a dead-end».
The authors did not mention a single word about the personal characteristics of former KGB lieutenant colonel Vladimir Putin. In my view, it seems like we know less about the prime minister than ever before, while in the meantime, I continue to this day to be amazed by certain analysts who assert that Putin is a capable manager.
Having analyzed even the latest appearances by Putin, one can come tothe conclusion that he – is a genius of banal phrases.
Here are several examples.
At a meeting with the minister of agriculture: «Now nicely and quietlywe will be moving towards gathering. It is a bit early still, butnevertheless in the south this company is already not beyond themountains».
At a session of the government: «One needs to carry all adopteddecisions though to the end, strive to attain the execution of thesedecisions».
Re-read all of his addresses to both chambers at the time he waspresident: a collection of general phrases with intrusions of somethingthat the court political technologists instantly jumped to suck on andpraise. In these addresses you will not find an assessment of what hasbeen done. Always – a bazaar about what needs to be done and how itneeds to be done. And the terms -2015, the year 2020… They’re thinkingof living forever and ruling us – too. (I understand that not Putinwrote those appearances, but speechwriters always proceed from thepersonality of the orator, from his predilections and interests).
Encyclopedias treat banality (from the Fr. banal – from a template) astotal ordinariness, templatism and even vulgarity; as something longknown, as an uninteresting opinion and a beat-up expression.
Personally, that’s exactly what he’s like – the «national leader» of ahuge raw-materials country, eaten away by corruption andtotalitarianism.
