By the way, something I miss in all the discussions about hazing is the point of view of the perpetrators. I am getting really curious about how they feel about torturing other people; whether they have any remorse, or how they look back on the dedovshchina after leaving the army; whether, after leaving the army, they change their opinions on the dedovshchina in general and on their own actions in particular.

I worry that too many Russians might feel that, as Americans, we don’t have a right to criticize incidents like this in the Russian military. It certainly leads to some very defensive remarks. I’ve seen some comments from Russians claiming that suicide rates in the Russian Military are no worse than those in the US Military, for example.

However, I think dedovshchina undermines the credibility and fighting ability of the Russian military. I also think it is important to US strategic interests that Russia maintains a credible and capable army.

It is amazing to me that the Russian government and army have been so unwilling to deal with these incidents. It seems to me easy enough to correct, both in the short-term and long-term. Court martials for guilty parties, and weeding out of NCOs and officers that allow such behavior to continue. Long-term the Russian military needs to perhaps become smaller, pay better, and move towards a volunteer force. Eventually if you restore pride and honor back to the Army, individuals can see it as a realistic career choice, and you can encourage a larger army. But as it stands now, the Russian army is run like the Louisana prison in “Cool Hand Luke”.