[free-sklyarov] the Russian angle (was "NC Call ...")

[Rob McGee]

On Tue, Jul 31, 2001 at 06:10:11PM -0400, Michael Scottaline wrote:
> This is something I've found VERY surprising.  In all I've read of this
> situation (and admittedly, my reading has NOT been exhaustive), I've yet
> to run across any commentary on the Russian governments efforts to have
> Dmitry released.  When US resident, Chinese citizens, were dteained in
> China, the news was full of US government's indignation and efforts to get
> them released through diplomatic channels (obviously successful).  What
> has, if anything, the Putin government done thus far (that's known)? 
> Perhaps this is a consequence of the breakdown of the hairly/bald mode of
> transition in the Russian government ;-)

I think it can be explained 100% by the enormous political and economic
power of the USA as opposed to both Russia and China. China wants access
to our market. Russia wants aid and investment as they try to modernize.
Neither one is really in a position right now to tell the USA to
"edet'ye k chortu" (bad transliteration for "go to hell"). Sure they
both have nukes, but we all know now that nobody wants to use them.
Nukes will only have significance in dire circumstances, the likes of
which we have not yet seen and can only imagine now.

The USSR, even under its last leader Gorbachev, would have reveled in a
story like this. Castro's probably enjoying it immensely, as are other
victims of the USA's power and hypocrisy. But these days nobody is
paying any attention to them.

I'm still at work on my Putin draft. How about some others? This is a
way I might be able to do something to help, anyway. (I don't even dare
distribute flyers in my town, because I would end up in jail. The pigs
here already know and hate me, and I can't afford jail time and fines
right now.)

    Rob - /dev/rob0