Re: Death of Zoya Krakhmalnikova, Russian Christian writer jailed by

On 16 touko, 00:48, ++ <fri...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> Marko Amnell wrote:

[...]

> >I guess Shafarevich is a creature of the new Russia,
> >Putin's Russia (to borrow the title of the late Anna
> >Politkovskaya's book) where ultra-nationalism
> >and antisemitism are common.
>
> The new Russia is western and has a rising standard of living and is
> tolerant of other peoples and faiths, but sometimes has missteps on the
> road back to their European roots. =A0You cannot so generalize, I don't
> think.

Under Putin, Russia has taken a path that is taking the country
away from the West. Russia has roots in both the East and the
West. More Russians have been able to join the consumerist
lifestyle but the Russian economy is not in good shape. Much of
the new wealth is built on the rising price of oil, but other sectors
are underdeveloped, such as IT. There is too little investment in
education and infrastructure, inflation is very high, and pensions
and social security have deteriorated. Seventeen years after the
end of Communism, Moscow and St Petersburg still have no
hot running water in the summer, so people must heat water
on a stove in the kitchen. Even the military (recently showcased with
a Soviet-style Victory Day parade in Red Square including Topol-M
ICBMs) which has received more funding, is plagued by lack of
funds at the grassroots level. Russia lacks freedom of the press.
Democractic institutions exist but do not function as they should.
Corruption is rampant. Half of the price of a public contract goes
to kickbacks. It is simply wrong to say that Russia is a Western
country. Opinion polls show consistently that Russians see
themselves as part of a separate Orthodox Eastern civilization,
not as a part of Western civilization. The socio-political system
is not Western. It is best described as semi-democratic
state-controlled capitalism, and is similar to the Chinese model.
Despite Putin's failures and the rampant corruption, Putin
remains very popular among Russians. Yeltsin, who tried to
introduce true Western institutions, is reviled.

> However, as for Shafarevic himself, he doesn't seem to have
> retracted some of his worst statements, only tried to recast them. =A0He
> is quoted by the worst: =A0He was given the equivalent of a lifetime
> achievement award for matematics, which he deserves, by Putin.
=A0Perhaps
> he has spent too much time contemplating Gallois and not enough time
> contemplating the Orthodox concept that every single individual on earth
> present or past was created in the image of God?
>
> http://christianparty.net/russia.htm
>
> The above, a fascist party, typically misuses and therefore abuses
> Christianity for its purposes.
>
> I understand how difficult it is for you to consider someone who was a
> great dissident with Solzhenitzen falling prey to this incredible
> nationalist tripe in his dotage,

Dotage? Shafarevich wrote "Russophobia" in 1982, at the age
of 59.

> like Sozhenitzen but worse. =A0In fact,
> Sozhenitzen's ideas may have played a part in those of the less
> compellingly well written Shafarevic.