Dmitri Medvedev---Voice of the Russian People?

Hi everyone!

It seems that President Dmitri Medvedev of Russia has finally decided to listen to the collective voice of his people in calling for democratic reforms. On Thursday, Mr. Medvedev gave his final state of the nation speech as president, calling for the direct election of governors and an end to nepotistic hiring practices within Russia's top corporations. He also announced plans for the creation of a public television station that would be independent of the Kremlin. In essence, Medvedev has flown in the face of Vladimir Putin and seems to be further distancing himself from the prime minister's more totalitarian leanings. While it would appear Medvedev is bending to the demands of the Russian voting public, in his address he completely failed to mention the allegations of fraud in the recent parliamentary elections, the root of the reason thousands of Russians have taken to the streets in protest. In fact, he continued to tow the official Kremlin line that the U.S. and other Western governments were behind the current unrest. Still, however, it is rather striking that Medvedev has chosen to take this approach. While he hasn't publicly broken with Putin--his erstwhile mentor--he does appear to have broken from the standard Kremlin ideology. What remains to be seen is whether the Russian people embrace Medvedev's attempts at reform or choose instead to greet it with justifiable skepticism or outright rejection. Regardless of whether one believes Medvedev is sincere or not, one cannot deny that this is a step in the right direction. What isn't clear is Medvedev's motivation. Kremlin politicking is often as opaque as that of North Korea. To what extent is Putin behind these proposed reforms? Is Putin still the puppet-master manipulating Medvedev's strings? If so, to what end? If Putin and Medvedev are indeed working in agreement, then wouldn't these reforms carry greater clout and/or credibility if they came from Putin himself?

I would like to believe that Medvedev--who came to office in a wave of optimism that he might have somewhat an independent, more Western-oriented voice--is acting from a genuine desire to effect democratic reform in his country. In his address to the newly elected Parliament last week, Medvedev did give credence to the stated desires of the protesters, saying that their voice could no longer be ignored. Still, there is the cynic in me that questions the true motivation of what is going on here. I guess it only remains to be seen. As I write this, another mass demonstration is taking place in Moscow. What will be the outcome? What will be the official Kremlin response? I suppose we'll know more as the day progresses.

Elsewhere in the world, a series of coordinated bomb blasts rocked Damascus yesterday on the eve of the arrival of Arab League observers. At least 44 people were killed with hundreds injured. The Assad government immediately placed responsibility on the shoulders of Al Qaeda, claiming that unrest in other areas of the Middle East have created an opening for Al Qaeda to establish itself within Syria. The truth is, however, that Al Qaeda has had a strong presence in eastern Syria for years, particularly as a launch point for attacks within Iraq. The Daily Telegraph of London reported that one Syrian official went so far as to accuse the United States of secretly forming an allegiance with Al Qaeda as a means of bringing down the Assad government. An utterly preposterous allegation but not necessarily unexpected. After all, there are still conspiracy theorists in the Arab World who honestly believe that the 9/11 attacks were carried out by Mossad. What this kind of theorizing boils down to is mass brainwashing. We see it in North Korea. We see it in the Middle East. We see it here in the United States.

I hope the current wave of protests throughout the Arab World, Russia, and parts of China prove that the collective voice of the people are better than those of their governments. If 2011 is the year of the protester, I hope 2012 sees the the fruition of these efforts. But in order for true reform to take place, the West needs to be prepared to enter into genuine dialogue with whomever the people choose to replace these dictators. Brainwashing is not irreversible, but it cannot take place without outside help.

Ciao.

QUESTION OF THE DAY: "Do you believe the presence of Arab League observers is going to make a difference in Syria's continuing brutal crackdown of the opposition?"