POLITICS & ECONOMICS: "Casting Putin in Historical Terms: Film on 1600s Czar Pushes 'Father of the Nation' Role for Post-Presidency," by Andrew Osborn and Alan Cullison, Wall Street Journal, 8 November 2007, p. A6.FEATURE: "Living Larger In the New Russia: Broke in the Nineties, the Starodubovs are bouncing back--and thanking Putin," by Gregory L. White, Wall Street Journal, 3-4 November 2007, p. A1.
Putin ends the "time of troubles," so he's recast as Michael Romanov, founder of the Romanov dynasty, in a popular movie.
"It is no coincidence …" as the Russians like to say--this movie.
No coincidence because, for many Russians, life is a helluva lot better.
Yes, plenty of them will bitch and moan about a lack of political pluralism on top.
But you know what? That's a better thing to complain about than what most Russians lamented in the 1990s.
The Starodubovs barely had a marriage by 1998: their lives were dominated by things like standing in line for food.
Now?
Like millions of Russians who have been lifted out of poverty by a booming economy over the past seven years, the Starodubovs' life has been transformed.
Unhappy families are all unique, but happy families enjoy similar benefits the world over: basic needs are met, basic dignity intact, basic hopes sustained for a better life for their kids. It's not about how far ahead some get, but making sure too many don't fall too far behind.
Putin has done that, and yes, he's taken max advantage of energy prices. You know, North America was once only considered good for beaver pelts.
You make do with what the global market wants--when it wants it.
When Russia's economic scene was chaotic and predatory, connectivity with the outside world consisted mostly of criminal transactions and oligarchs taking capital abroad.
Ah, but prostrate Russia was so much easier to step over on our way to perceived strategic interests.
Now comes the realignment . . .
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Comments (5)
My concern isn't about current conditions, which appear to be favorable and improving. The problems with this regime will arise when a) oil prices drop precipitously or b) Russia's oil production declines (many industry analysts are already seeing the beginning of declines)
Will the government and/or the economy have the flexibility to react, or will the oligarchs steal the last bits of a faltering economy?
Posted by DougM | December 4, 2007 7:24 AM
Putin is a smart guy. He has managed to thrive in Russian politics which are and always have been a treacherous game. The economy is good and the Russians are happy. The Russians tend to be a melancholy lot and if they are happy that is really something. So they get to buy new flat screen TVs, the kids get neat clothes and mom gets her hair done. What is the problem? At least Putin does not need a war to boost his popularity.
Posted by Ted O'Connor | December 4, 2007 12:56 PM
Another concern: what happens if Putin decides to turn from Michael Romanov to Michael Corleone? It wouldn't be the first time Russia has paid dearly for its leader's ambitions.
Posted by Michael | December 4, 2007 3:13 PM
nice paraphrase of Tolstoy, Dr. Barnett..
Posted by Michal Shapiro | December 4, 2007 9:04 PM
Tom,
I don't think people are drinking the New Cold War koolaid anymore, not even in D.C. America simply has too many other responsibilities and both countries have too many problems right now to play this game over again.
Thanks for being a voice of reason on Russia inside the Beltway.
Posted by Charles Ganske | December 5, 2007 7:42 PM