EDITORIAL: Garry Kasparov, Sniveling Coward?
EDITORIAL
Garry Kasparov, Sniveling Coward?
Garry Kasparov, Sniveling Coward?
Et tu, Garry?
The Other Russia political coalition was to stage a protest march to coincide with Wednesday's farcical "inauguration" of new Russian "president" Dimitri Medvedev. But at the last minute, they called it off. The Other Russia blog reports that this decision was made because "organizers were concerned for the safety of demonstrators" after the Moscow government refused to permit the march. Lyudmila Mamina, the spokeswoman for The Other Russia, told the Moscow Times that "we received concrete information that if Mr. Kasparov attended, he would be arrested and detained. So he decided not to attend -- both he and [banned National Bolshevik Party head Eduard] Limonov." The net result was that the Kremlin sent more than 300 OMON and Interior Ministry troops to challenge protesters who simply didn't show up.
To say we are disappointed in this sordid sequence of events is putting it mildly. Mr. Kasparov, to all appearances, is a sniveling coward -- or maybe just an idiot. To say that Other Russia will not march because the Kremlin might crack some skulls or arrest him is to say that it will never march at all, and if it will not march then it might as well not exist.
A barbaric outrage has been committed in Russia. Dimitri Medvedev has been made "president" by means of "elections" that no thinking person can dispute were rigged, and sitting "president" Vladimir Putin has been named prime minister and carried out a vast expansion of the PM duties, flouting the spirit of the Russian constitution and establishing a neo-Soviet dictatorship in Russia.
And Kasparov's response? The Kremlin whispers "BOO!" and he's hiding under the bed.
Oleg Kozlovsky is in jail, Garry. Why aren't you?
He should watch the movie Gandhi. There is one and only one way to bring democracy to Russia, the hard way, by asking those who care about the country's future to risk their lives for it, just as Russians risked their lives fighting against Hitler in World War II. The world's attention was focussed on Russia during the sham inauguration, and come hell or high water Kasparov should have been on the barricades, no matter what the cost.
If he's not prepared to be that kind of leader, he should step aside and allow someone who is to take over.
The Other Russia political coalition was to stage a protest march to coincide with Wednesday's farcical "inauguration" of new Russian "president" Dimitri Medvedev. But at the last minute, they called it off. The Other Russia blog reports that this decision was made because "organizers were concerned for the safety of demonstrators" after the Moscow government refused to permit the march. Lyudmila Mamina, the spokeswoman for The Other Russia, told the Moscow Times that "we received concrete information that if Mr. Kasparov attended, he would be arrested and detained. So he decided not to attend -- both he and [banned National Bolshevik Party head Eduard] Limonov." The net result was that the Kremlin sent more than 300 OMON and Interior Ministry troops to challenge protesters who simply didn't show up.
To say we are disappointed in this sordid sequence of events is putting it mildly. Mr. Kasparov, to all appearances, is a sniveling coward -- or maybe just an idiot. To say that Other Russia will not march because the Kremlin might crack some skulls or arrest him is to say that it will never march at all, and if it will not march then it might as well not exist.
A barbaric outrage has been committed in Russia. Dimitri Medvedev has been made "president" by means of "elections" that no thinking person can dispute were rigged, and sitting "president" Vladimir Putin has been named prime minister and carried out a vast expansion of the PM duties, flouting the spirit of the Russian constitution and establishing a neo-Soviet dictatorship in Russia.
And Kasparov's response? The Kremlin whispers "BOO!" and he's hiding under the bed.
Oleg Kozlovsky is in jail, Garry. Why aren't you?
He should watch the movie Gandhi. There is one and only one way to bring democracy to Russia, the hard way, by asking those who care about the country's future to risk their lives for it, just as Russians risked their lives fighting against Hitler in World War II. The world's attention was focussed on Russia during the sham inauguration, and come hell or high water Kasparov should have been on the barricades, no matter what the cost.
If he's not prepared to be that kind of leader, he should step aside and allow someone who is to take over.
Labels:
editorial,
opposition groups,
russia
4 comments:
>>just as Russians risked their lives fighting against Hitler in World War II.<<
Dear Ma'am, just a few months ago you wrote in this blog that losing the WWII to Hitler would have done the Russians a world of good! :)
We must congratulate you on achieving a new high in stupidity of a comment. This is the most idiotic response to a post we've yet received and, believe us, that's saying something!
If you thought even for a few seconds about your remark before making it, then you would realize that the force Kasparov is supposedly fighting against is not an outside enemy who could remake Russia by conquering it, but rather a domestic terrorist who will force Russia to remain even more the same. He's fighting the status quo. Thus, by allowing Kasparov's enemy to win, Russia gains nothing.
Moreover, unlike the Germans, Putin is not killing Russians en masse at present. Therefore, at present, resisting him does not cost lives on a large scale the nation cannot pay. Rather, resistance now may well save many lives later, by preventing Putin from achieving a Stalin-like power to kill.
Russians take pride in showing valor when challenging foreign enemies, yet they do not show any shame at their craven, cowardly failure to confront domestic enemies who are far more dangerous. That is the very worst kind of hypocrisy.
If you can't manage to think even a little before writing, you shouldn't. It only embarrasses both you and this blog.
if you haven't been in jail or participated in a demo in russia, you shouldn't criticize kasparov, who has been to jail and who risks his life every day.
kasparov's done much for freedom in russia, and over the past few years he's shown a great deal of courage.
its lame and weak to live in the West and criticize those on the front lines.
Poppycock. If you aren't offering us the right to play a part in governing Russia even though we're foreigners, then you have no basis to expect us to participate in the effort to take power.
It's interesting that you mention Kasparov spending a few hours in jail, because suddenly after that he's been as meek as a mouse. It looks for all the world like he was gotten to. We stand by our call for him to put up or shut up. Time is running out.
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