Comments on: Medvedev in the Financial Times http://seansrussiablog.org/2008/03/25/medvedev-in-the-financial-times/ Russia Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow Sat, 17 Jul 2010 19:04:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc By: Chrisius Maximus http://seansrussiablog.org/2008/03/25/medvedev-in-the-financial-times/comment-page-1/#comment-49318 Chrisius Maximus Fri, 28 Mar 2008 13:28:08 +0000 http://seansrussiablog.org/2008/03/25/medvedev-in-the-financial-times/#comment-49318 Is that the Russian term for drawing and quartering? Is that the Russian term for drawing and quartering?

]]> By: ivanov http://seansrussiablog.org/2008/03/25/medvedev-in-the-financial-times/comment-page-1/#comment-49316 ivanov Fri, 28 Mar 2008 13:20:59 +0000 http://seansrussiablog.org/2008/03/25/medvedev-in-the-financial-times/#comment-49316 Then it would be swan, pike or crawfish (см. басни Крылова) Bu they look like horses... So I think it will work. Then it would be swan, pike or crawfish
(см. басни Крылова)

Bu they look like horses… So I think it will work.

]]> By: Chrisius Maximus http://seansrussiablog.org/2008/03/25/medvedev-in-the-financial-times/comment-page-1/#comment-49303 Chrisius Maximus Fri, 28 Mar 2008 12:16:52 +0000 http://seansrussiablog.org/2008/03/25/medvedev-in-the-financial-times/#comment-49303 Not if the horses start running in opposite directions. Then Russia will be drawn and quartered. :) Not if the horses start running in opposite directions. Then Russia will be drawn and quartered. :)

]]> By: ivanov http://seansrussiablog.org/2008/03/25/medvedev-in-the-financial-times/comment-page-1/#comment-49282 ivanov Fri, 28 Mar 2008 09:51:58 +0000 http://seansrussiablog.org/2008/03/25/medvedev-in-the-financial-times/#comment-49282 "Medvedev is clearly no dummy. " He's never been one. He is just younger than Putin. But it's his time now to come out of shadow :) What all this means - Russian will be now two-horse powered telega instead of one-horse powered. So either it will run faster or carry more... “Medvedev is clearly no dummy. ”

He’s never been one. He is just younger than Putin. But it’s his time now to come out of shadow :)

What all this means – Russian will be now two-horse powered telega instead of one-horse powered. So either it will run faster or carry more…

]]> By: Chekov http://seansrussiablog.org/2008/03/25/medvedev-in-the-financial-times/comment-page-1/#comment-49129 Chekov Thu, 27 Mar 2008 13:56:10 +0000 http://seansrussiablog.org/2008/03/25/medvedev-in-the-financial-times/#comment-49129 I was reasonably impressed with Medvedev's performance. His answers regarding the more pointed questions regarding freedoms and foreign policy were lucid and reasonable. I was reasonably impressed with Medvedev’s performance. His answers regarding the more pointed questions regarding freedoms and foreign policy were lucid and reasonable.

]]> By: Chrisius Maximus http://seansrussiablog.org/2008/03/25/medvedev-in-the-financial-times/comment-page-1/#comment-49121 Chrisius Maximus Thu, 27 Mar 2008 13:00:00 +0000 http://seansrussiablog.org/2008/03/25/medvedev-in-the-financial-times/#comment-49121 Generally agreed Candide. Generally agreed Candide.

]]> By: Candide http://seansrussiablog.org/2008/03/25/medvedev-in-the-financial-times/comment-page-1/#comment-49001 Candide Wed, 26 Mar 2008 22:28:43 +0000 http://seansrussiablog.org/2008/03/25/medvedev-in-the-financial-times/#comment-49001 Chrius Maximus, No, the Nazi Germany was not just a footnote. To the contrary, it was a textbook example how things can go wrong in Corporatist Paradise, just like USSR was a textbook example how things can go wrong in Collectivist Utopia. Fortunately, it's all in the past now. I admit, when I say that Russia still has much to learn from 'the West', I refer to all the positive Western heritage and dismiss all the bad history. But yeah, there are some horrible episodes and they shouldn't be forgotten. Chrius Maximus,

No, the Nazi Germany was not just a footnote. To the contrary, it was a textbook example how things can go wrong in Corporatist Paradise, just like USSR was a textbook example how things can go wrong in Collectivist Utopia. Fortunately, it’s all in the past now.

I admit, when I say that Russia still has much to learn from ‘the West’, I refer to all the positive Western heritage and dismiss all the bad history. But yeah, there are some horrible episodes and they shouldn’t be forgotten.

]]> By: Cyrill http://seansrussiablog.org/2008/03/25/medvedev-in-the-financial-times/comment-page-1/#comment-48985 Cyrill Wed, 26 Mar 2008 20:39:38 +0000 http://seansrussiablog.org/2008/03/25/medvedev-in-the-financial-times/#comment-48985 <i>(As an aside, I actually don’t think Fascism in its original Italian version was that awful. On the Evil Regimes spectrum, it’s far from the worst.)</i> A rare occasion we are in agreement, Chris. I do not see Italian fascismo as an awful evil thing. It seems to be a widely used model that spans quite a number of societies and cultures and seems also to be one of the typical stages societies go through. Just like I do not consider Putin and his view/arrangement of contemporary Russia as awful. It is definately a huge improvement over what it was in the USSR. Would I like to see Russia skip this stage, yes, could it be done, I have no idea. (As an aside, I actually don’t think Fascism in its original Italian version was that awful. On the Evil Regimes spectrum, it’s far from the worst.)

A rare occasion we are in agreement, Chris. I do not see Italian fascismo as an awful evil thing. It seems to be a widely used model that spans quite a number of societies and cultures and seems also to be one of the typical stages societies go through. Just like I do not consider Putin and his view/arrangement of contemporary Russia as awful. It is definately a huge improvement over what it was in the USSR. Would I like to see Russia skip this stage, yes, could it be done, I have no idea.

]]> By: Chrius Maximus http://seansrussiablog.org/2008/03/25/medvedev-in-the-financial-times/comment-page-1/#comment-48953 Chrius Maximus Wed, 26 Mar 2008 18:01:30 +0000 http://seansrussiablog.org/2008/03/25/medvedev-in-the-financial-times/#comment-48953 Well I think all people who posit themselves as some kind of carriers of historic destiny and see national histories as some kind of unity with a definable essence are delusional (for instance, there is no "West" outside of somebody's ideological -- in the sense of ideas, not 'ideology' -- construct). But my larger point is that it seems odd for people who glorify the West and equate this ideal construct with actually existing Europe to ignore the Nazis, as if they were just a footnote to history. (As an aside, I actually don't think Fascism in its original Italian version was that awful. On the Evil Regimes spectrum, it's far from the worst.) Well I think all people who posit themselves as some kind of carriers of historic destiny and see national histories as some kind of unity with a definable essence are delusional (for instance, there is no “West” outside of somebody’s ideological — in the sense of ideas, not ‘ideology’ — construct). But my larger point is that it seems odd for people who glorify the West and equate this ideal construct with actually existing Europe to ignore the Nazis, as if they were just a footnote to history.

(As an aside, I actually don’t think Fascism in its original Italian version was that awful. On the Evil Regimes spectrum, it’s far from the worst.)

]]> By: Cyrill http://seansrussiablog.org/2008/03/25/medvedev-in-the-financial-times/comment-page-1/#comment-48952 Cyrill Wed, 26 Mar 2008 17:59:23 +0000 http://seansrussiablog.org/2008/03/25/medvedev-in-the-financial-times/#comment-48952 One thing to consider is the origins of fascism. On the surface it does look like a Western thing but it is only because it was happening in Europe at the time. At the beginning of the WWI the split within the socialist movement produced fascism and other nationalist socialist movements on one hand and internationalist movement on the other. The split between Komintern and national socialist movements along the lines of nationalism vs internationalism was a very painful event for communist/socialist ideology. Only a few cells, such as Lenin in Zurich, were completely internationalist, while others took interests of their respective nations, like the Italian branch that later transformed into Mussolini's fascist movement. Although, if fascism as a movement is analyzed not only as ideology but based on its economic and social outlook, it is not a Western phenomenon. If the ideological (and religious for that matter) pronouncements are left aside, there isn't much of a difference between state controlled societies (and economies) that emerged then as fascists, and contemporary (or during the USSR stage) situation in Russia and Iran. Unfortunately ideological fluff is considered as the important aspect while socio-economic structures of societies are often ignored. Add to this the Baath and pan arab concepts together with a direct link to Nazi Germany via the famous Mufti at the core of Baathizm and the whole picture of what fascism was/is gets quite different then simply pointing at Hitler. One thing to consider is the origins of fascism. On the surface it does look like a Western thing but it is only because it was happening in Europe at the time. At the beginning of the WWI the split within the socialist movement produced fascism and other nationalist socialist movements on one hand and internationalist movement on the other. The split between Komintern and national socialist movements along the lines of nationalism vs internationalism was a very painful event for communist/socialist ideology. Only a few cells, such as Lenin in Zurich, were completely internationalist, while others took interests of their respective nations, like the Italian branch that later transformed into Mussolini’s fascist movement.

Although, if fascism as a movement is analyzed not only as ideology but based on its economic and social outlook, it is not a Western phenomenon. If the ideological (and religious for that matter) pronouncements are left aside, there isn’t much of a difference between state controlled societies (and economies) that emerged then as fascists, and contemporary (or during the USSR stage) situation in Russia and Iran. Unfortunately ideological fluff is considered as the important aspect while socio-economic structures of societies are often ignored.

Add to this the Baath and pan arab concepts together with a direct link to Nazi Germany via the famous Mufti at the core of Baathizm and the whole picture of what fascism was/is gets quite different then simply pointing at Hitler.

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