A United Russia Not So United

Hi everyone!

A rift appears to be growing within the United Russia party as a series of party insiders have come out in support of the recent protests. Sergei N. Filippov, United Russia party member and a chief regional executive at the government-controlled Gazprom, spoke out last week at a session of the Vladimir Region legislature saying that corruption is rife within United Russia and must be rooted out and fixed. Another party insider, Olga V. Kryshtanovskaya was instrumental in creating a group on Facebook called "UR for Free Elections" that combined the protest movement's logo -- a white ribbon -- with the United Russia logo. Furthermore, Vladimir V. Semago, United Russia governing council member in Moscow, penned an op-ed piece in an opposition newspaper wherein he confessed his own involvement in political corruption and the personal shame it has caused him.

But while a few days ago it appeared President Dmitri Medvedev was gradually acknowledging the validity of the protesters' calls for change, this week it seems he has taken a big step in the opposite direction. According to an article in today's New York Times, earlier this week Medvedev promoted several Kremlin top-dogs with former ties to the KGB and Prime Minister Putin. Among those promoted was Sergei B. Ivanov, formerly of the KGB, to the position of chief of staff of the presidential administration.

Putin, it appears, has broken his silence of late about the growing protest movement. On Wednesday, he told a group of Russian journalists that "dialogue" must take place with the protesters but that he wasn't certain at this point to what degree or in what format that "dialogue" should take place. In other words, Putin has no intention of deviating from the path that will guarantee him the presidential position come elections in March.  Putin and his toadies at the Kremlin -- including President Medvedev -- can pay all the lip service they want to the opposition movement, but as we've seen all too frequently throughout history, talk that doesn't result in action is just that...talk.

I only hope that bloggers like Alexei Navalny--a verifiable hero of the opposition and anyone who believes in the freedom of speech--don't back down or aren't swayed by the Kremlin's false promises to wipe out corruption and genuinely reform. Momentum and recent history are both on the side of the opposition. Russians who believe in a fair and representative form of government should take inspiration from the precedent currently being set by their brothers and sisters in the Arab World. While it still remains to be seen what will come of Tahrir Square, the Egyptian people did successfully (and for the most part peacefully) bring down a despot less than a year ago.

The collective will of the street is just as powerful--if not more so--than the iron grip of a ruling elite.

Ciao.

The Russian Protests...Alexey Navalny...Birds of Dreams: a Novel

Hi everyone! Hope you're all having a good weekend. It's cold this evening in Galena...bone-chilling cold. Just got back from dinner--the French/German bistro Fritz and Frites in downtown Galena, which really is the only decent restaurant in town. Started with the mussels in a champagne sauce, followed by Wienerschnitzel with red cabbage and spaetzle, and profiteroles for dessert. I've never had a bad meal there, which is something to be said for a small town with plenty of dining options but very few of any quality. If you're in Galena, check out Fritz and Frites. They are open for lunch and dinner seven days a week.

Also, before I get down to business, I just want to let everyone know that my first novel "Birds of Dreams" is available for sale on Amazon Kindle for $2.99--a price reduction for the holidays. In a nutshell, it tells the story of what happens when Reality TV clashes with Reality. Part "Gossip Girl," part "Sex and the City" with a little Bollywood spice thrown in, the novel is a social satire with a colorful cast of characters all vying for a spot on a hot new reality show, or if not that, then at least a shot at something outside of boring everyday anonymity. Look for it on Amazon Kindle. The print edition will be published early next year...

I've been following the protest in Moscow all day and am happy to hear that everything went peacefully. Depending on who you read, the number of protesters ranged from a few thousand to over a hundred thousand. I'm thinking the average was around fifty-thousand. Regardless, it was the largest street protest in Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Another protest has been scheduled for Christmas Eve. Protestors are demanding the resignation of Vladimir Churov, the head of the Russian Central Election Commission, and a new round of elections, which is exactly what Mikail Gorbachev, the last Soviet Premier, called for yesterday. I don't know--revolution seems to be in the air this year.

One of the most vocal advocates of social change in Russia--and this protest movement--is a Russian political blogger and Tweeter named Alexey Navalny. Mr. Navalny was reportedly arrested earlier in the week after blogging about the election fraud. His arrest is, in part, what inspired today's protests.

The Lede, a New York Times news blog, published a translation of a letter he wrote from jail addressed to the crowds gathered today in Bolotnaya Square and across the country. I've pasted it here:

"It is easy and pleasant to struggle for one's own rights. And it's not at all fearful. Don't believe all this nonsense about unavoidable disorders, fights with the police and burning cars.

Everyone has the only one and the most powerful weapon that we need: dignity, the feeling of self-respect.

It's simply important to understand that this feeling could not be put on and put off as a velvet jacket. It cannot be turned on with a button in your kitchen full of your friends and turned off when you talk with an official, policeman or member of electoral committee.

There ARE people with dignity. There are many of them. Dozens of them are sitting on tattered mattresses next to me. And I know, thousands of them are now at the Revolution and Bolotnaya squares in Moscow and in other cities of the country.

There are no repressions or clubs. There are no detentions or arrests for 15 days. All this is rubbish. It's impossible to beat and arrest hundreds of thousands, millions.  We have not even been intimidated, for some time we were simply convinced that the life of toads and rats, the life of speechless cattle was the only way to win stability and economic growth in reward.

The palaver wisps away and we can see that the cattle-like silence was a gift to only a fistful of swindlers and thieves who became millionaires. This pack and their media valets go on convincing us that the electoral fraud in favor of the party of swindlers and thieves is a prerequisite of availability of hot water in the tap or cheep mortgages. We have been being fed with this for 12 years. We are fed up. It's time to shake off the torpor.

We are not cattle or slaves. We have voices and votes and we have the power to uphold them.

All people of dignity must feel solidarity with each other. No matter where they are at the moment, out in the square, in their kitchens or in a jail cell. We feel our solidarity with you and we know that we shall triumph. It simply cannot be otherwise.

We say: One for all and all for one!"

Amazing stuff. Definitely interesting times ahead!

Ciao.

QUESTION OF THE DAY: "Do you think change is coming to Russia?"