Harley Balzer has an interesting article in the "National Interest" magazine (or at least on their website) which summarizes an article which Putin wrote about Russian energy policy some years ago and explores the question of whether that article has any implications for the approach that his administration is currently following. Definitely worth a read.
My favorite line from the article, though, has nothing to do with energy policy specifically but encapsulates an idea that's often occurred to me while engaged in arguments with Russians about their country's policies: "It is profoundly disturbing that many people who wish Russia well are characterized as anti-Russian for raising inconvenient questions." Indeed.
4 comments:
Lyndon,
It is great to see others with Moscow blogs.
Thanks to the list of links of Eurasian blogs I stumbled on a number of other fascinating blogs, including the Farsi language one. I still speak (and read) Farsi but am rusty!
I used to live in DC, have lived in Moscow some 8 years now.
Will come by and peek here.
Warmly,
mng
are skinheads really a big problem in moscow? are there tons of them like the papers say?
what about the gypsies? are there tons of them in moscow?
lastly, what about the fancy places where the new rich live? what are those places like?
Shout out to all moscow bloggers! Boiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!
I think the problem of minorities getting assaulted is bigger in St. Petersburg and other large cities than it is in Moscow. And it's not always "skinheads," it might just be racist youths - organized or disorganized, not necessarily with the whole skinhead look or ethos.
You see a few gypsies begging on the streets in Moscow, but not that many.
Fancy places? Yes, there's lots of new and renovated residential real estate that caters to those with petrodollars to throw around. What are they like? Too expensive for me to know...
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