Yesterday I joined Serhiy Kudelia, professor at George Washington University, and Vor, the leader of Voina, on The Stream, Al-Jazeera English’s daily news talk show, to discuss Voina, protest art and visual parody, and the Russian protests.
Here’s the video:
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The part about “If Putin falsifies the election in the same way the parliamentary election were falsified, then those people would start something similar to the Tahrir square…”
IMHO, the real fraud is the story about the fraud. If you look at the Levada Center ratings for November, you see the 53% support for the United Russia:
http://www.levada.ru/25-11-2011/noyabrskie-reitingi-odobreniya-i-doveriya-reitingi-partii
And if you look at the December opinion poll, you see that over 48% voted for the United Russia (the number is so low, because of 6% of those who refused to answer):
http://www.levada.ru/22-12-2011/dekabrskie-reitingi-odobreniya-i-doveriya
Levada Center is independent (its history shows that, since it started as a breakaway from VTSIOM
http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/1001/p07s02-woeu.html
)
That’s why the anti-Putin movement tries to build on the momentum — precisely because “you can not fool all of the people all of the time”. After a year or so organizers of the protests would look very silly. But now they try to gain something of their completely falsified narrative.
I love it: after Vor stumbles on the word “dissidents”, a voice in Russian says: “Can you read it normally?” (“Можешь нормально читать?”)
And after that Vor says: “I cannot read it” (“Я не могу читать”.)
“Egyptian air is good for the lungs…”
Is that a fact? It makes for a catchy lyric, but I hope it’s not a comment on the validity of artistic opinion where dissent is concerned, because Egypt is a disaster. Please don’t take my word for it;
http://www.google.ca/search?q=transitional+failure+in+egypt+and+tunisia&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
“Egypt… is teetering between authoritarianism and the diktats of the street. Under pressure, the SCAF and government are reverting to positions reminiscent of the Mubarak government—trying to ban protests, stipulating which organizations can receive outside funding and, most dangerously, floating the idea that the new constitution must make the military the guarantor of Egyptian democracy”, said The National Interest back in August last year. “But the protesters’ demands are equally dangerous”, it went on: ” They want selected ministers to be fired now and those responsible for the deaths of protesters in February to be brought to justice immediately. What Egypt needs, however, is not ad hoc decisions taken to pacify protesters”. My, yes, that sounds good for democracy, not to mention good for the lungs.
Egypt suffers from the same problem as does Libya, although to a lesser degree. There was no plan. Highly-paid western talking-head leaders simply stepped up on the soapbox and lip-synched, “(Insert name of non-aligned leader whose overthrow is desired here) must step down”. Nice work if you can get it. Meanwhile, there was no mirror government waiting in the wings: in the case of Egypt, the military – exactly where Mubarak came from – and in the case of Libya, al Qaeda-affiliated tribesmen and a motley retinue of unprincipled rabble.
Has Egypt made any progress since then – can it now boast of air that is good for the lungs? You tell me:
http://news.yahoo.com/egypt-ngos-probe-cover-govt-failure-165731928.html
Just off the top of my head, I’d have to say not so much. “In a statement, 29 Egyptian groups, including human rights organisations, said they were being subjected to a scare campaign by the authorities, which have brought charges against 43 foreign and local activists who include 19 Americans. The probe has triggered a crisis in ties between Washington and Cairo that could endanger $1.3 billion in annual U.S. military aid to Egypt. Escalating the row on Tuesday, state-run newspapers splashed accusations of a U.S. plan to spread “anarchy” in Egypt”, says Reuters 3 days ago. Let’s parse this for negativity, shall we? Right off the mark, I can see a problem – “crisis” is not a word you like to see linked with a country you have just boasted about as a charter member of the “Arab Spring” and all-’round beacon of freedom. And you especially do not want to see your name linked with “spreading anarchy” in a country you have eulogized for the lung-friendly quality of its “freedom air”. You probably want accusations that you are trying to steer Egypt in a direction driven by “Israel’s interests” even less, considering Egypt was the first Arab nation to recognize Israel – that would look like the polar opposite of progress, considering it was the country’s Minister of International Cooperation who said it.
Protest art shares something with Dali’s art – both rely on distortions of reality for dramatic effect. The youthful joie-de-vivre types bouncing around on the roof could maybe afford to skip a couple of guitar lessons in favour of reading the newspapers.
Putin must step down as president
Thank you for your valuable insight into the situation in Russia! Of course, the local Russians like me have no idea of the situation there! I have no idea, what would we ever do if we did not have men full of wisdom, like you!
Continuing on with the “Egyptian air is good for the lungs” theme, the Egyptian “transitional” military government puts some 43 foreigners on trial this Sunday, including 16 Americans. The Americans, democracy activists and members of four American NGO’s operating in the country, are among others charged with illegal use of foreign funds to foment unrest, and operating without a license. Three of the groups will sound very familiar, and two are sugar-daddies for GOLOS; the International Republican Institute, the National Democratic Institute and Freedom House. The other agency is not named, and trains journalists.
What a breathtaking example of Egyptians exercising their right to self-determination! You would think the U.S. government would stand up and applaud, since it agitated so vehemently for Mubarak to step down. You may be surprised to learn the U.S. government does not like it at all, and is threatening to cut off foreign aid payments to Egypt. In fact, the president of Freedom House says the charges are “clearly political in nature”. What?? Wasn’t Freedom House among the tear-stained cheerleaders as the first zephyrs of sweet freedom blew through Tahrir Square? I wouldn’t be surprised to see Tahrir Square turn into a semi-permanent protest camp, since the protesters – like the Rolling Stones – can’t get no satisfaction.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46526038/ns/world_news-mideast_n_africa/#.T02bz3ldA14
Maybe there’s something to this Egyptian air after all.
I don’t see how the Arab Spring especially Egypt which is in absolute chao is anything in which Russians would want to emulate.
Most likely the regional Muslim states like that of Chechnya under the Dudaev regime would be a haven for international terrorist and organised crime if central authority were to dissolve.
http://conrad2001.narod.ru/english/genocide/genocide_1.htm
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