tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17766817.post116522475797279001..comments2023-11-05T22:35:31.766+00:00Comments on Neil Clark: In Bed with RussophobesNeil Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10479041156190090119noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17766817.post-1165485625640579032006-12-07T10:00:00.000+00:002006-12-07T10:00:00.000+00:00And while western interference in elections in Ukr...<B> And while western interference in elections in Ukraine, Georgia and other ex-Soviet republics has been justified on grounds of spreading democracy, any Russian involvement in the affairs of its neighbours has been spun as an attempt to recreate the "evil empire"</B><BR/><BR/>Like the West is threatening to cut off Crimea, Pridnestrovie, S. Ossetia, Abkhazia, Nagorny Kharabakh and parts of Azerbaijan, including milions of native refugees from those places. <BR/><BR/>Like it is refusing to fulfil its promises to withdraw troops put in some of those places given at OSCE summit in Stambul in 1999. <BR/><BR/>Like it refuses to recognize despite numerous EU Parliament, PASE resolutions, European Court of Human Rights decisions on the question of illegality of the occupation of the Baltic States.Estonia in World Media (Rus)https://www.blogger.com/profile/13791711276337826586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17766817.post-1165330350149599462006-12-05T14:52:00.000+00:002006-12-05T14:52:00.000+00:00One hardly needs be a Russophobe to find fault wit...One hardly needs be a Russophobe to find fault with the Russian government; nor does the death of Litvinenko - should it ultimately be attributed to the Russian leader (and we may have to use Occam as there isn't exactly going to be a trial here) - but add to an already substantial list of Putin's anti-democratic, anti-progressive offenses.<BR/><BR/>To reason, as you want to, that a neoconservative dislike of Putin should ally leftists with an aspiring autocrat (or keep them quiet about his dirty business) is simply ridiculous. There is no either/or here, and why you should seek to create one, I really don't understand. As you yourself note, there are a great many "grounds for criticising the Russian government from a progressive perspective." Should this criticism be withheld because it might also be voiced by those on the right? Of course it shouldn't.<BR/><BR/>If the murder of Politkovskaya raised one's eyebrows, it wasn't for lack of political vision, and it certainly wasn't a gesture of solidarity with "rightwing hawks." To suggest, as you do, that the recent "bandwagon" of anti-Putin sentiment is but the fruit of Washington neocon conspiracy is outlandish. Don't you think the reality of the Chechen nightmare, for example, should be just a bit more compelling to those on the left than a memo Paul Wolfowitz wrote in 1992?Kancelmihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14576379026516454453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17766817.post-1165312132619942492006-12-05T09:48:00.000+00:002006-12-05T09:48:00.000+00:00Marina, thanks for writing in.I've posted a longer...Marina, thanks for writing in.<BR/>I've posted a longer version of my piece on the neo-conservative strategy, which appeared in The Morning Star. In addition you may want to read these comments on Russia by the prominent neo-con Charles Krauthammer: <BR/>http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=Y2MzMTE5NTdmMzM1MTE0ZTQwYTI1OGE2ODlhMDJiZmQ=Neil Clarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10479041156190090119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17766817.post-1165307818246077162006-12-05T08:36:00.000+00:002006-12-05T08:36:00.000+00:00Thank you for bringing up the issue of Russophobia...Thank you for bringing up the issue of Russophobia. It is difficult to draw a distinction between casual xenophobia and explicit dislike of Russians presented in recent commentaries on Mr Litvinenko's ordeal. It seems to me that modern zealots of anti-Russian sentiments have gotten into the trap of centuries-old propaganda. The efforts of Roman-Catholic Church at converting inhabitants of East Europe, the loss in Russo-Polish rivalry, the Great Britain's tough competition with Russia for the spheres of influence, the fight over eastern tilt of Slavic provinces of Austria-Hungary empire, Napoleon's megalomania and Hitler's drive to the East, among others, were accompanied by wild and wide-spread propaganda that had been instilling irrational fear of Russia in the West. For any impartial observer, this new anti-Russian sentiment of the western media, with the Economist leading the effort, is just a neurotic reaction to Russia's newly gained independence in its foreign policy. Russophobia of XXI century is indeed hypocritical, as the purpose of liberal reforms since 1990 was to build a market economy in Russia. In the land of natural resources, such a talented people, advanced technology and culture, the market economy produces a powerful nation, which requires West's mature attitude towards the Russians.soborhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08683246982268902468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17766817.post-1165238813669815432006-12-04T13:26:00.000+00:002006-12-04T13:26:00.000+00:00Hello!Could you please explain and give comment on...Hello!<BR/>Could you please explain and give comment on following lines in your article:<BR/>"rightwing hawks are gunning for Putin not because of concern for human rights but because an independent Russia stands in the way of their plans for global hegemony". Thank you beforehand.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com