Are you saying oppressing freedom is the only way for Russia?
The only way that works?
The only way that Russians deserve?
or something else?
Lost Angel is more or less right; too add, though:
Russian people need s strong state to govern us, one which does not allow any serious opposition, or any manifestation of "free" public activity. In the broadest sense of this.
You see, as long as it remains this way - russians will obey support the state. And will be quite happy with this. However, once anything at all is weakened - severe tendencies for disorder begin, which are very harmful to our country. Russian are paradoxical, we combine the ability to obey perfectly, and to create the most terrible disorder. Not much room between those, either.
Also, in our feelings toward power - unless the state strongly and uncompromisingly legitimises itself, we will not trust or respect it at the practical level. Meaning, although we will accept it as power for a long time, and view it as a master, we will not obey it at a practical level, and will not respect it. The best recent example is USSR - practically everyone supported the state, and all of it's activities (there was discontent with very separate parts of it, e.g. local officials), but supported and obeyed it as a whole - in our view, state = country = motherland = the people, etc, etc. However, as soon as the state undermined itself in the form of Gorbachev - the frenzy of disorder began, starting from the severe liberalist views expressed directly through mass information a few years before the collapse, to the rampant law of the jungle after the collapse.
And we will not function well as a society until a strong and all-powerful state is installed. This is why people support Putin so much now, but still view him as a temporary figure, as the times are still not ordered, and the state is not present in affairs as strongly and omnipotently as it should.
We do not value freedom, in the sense you speak of it, in any way. I will give away any kind of this freedom I have now just to, say, have a secure pension guaranteed at retirement.
Our understanding of freedom lies in an omnipotent and benevolent state, which can forge and maintain an empire.
Only in this lies our wealth and prosperity.
Heh, you know, it's difficult to fully explain, I hope you understand some things though...
There’s a good saying we have – “give freedom to a Russian muzhik (man), and he’ll screw your head offâ€.
And when the state is not legitimate enough - then, a russian revolt grows - slowly, but when it errupts, there will be chaos... Another good saying, about this matter: "Russia smoulders slowly, burns quickly"...
"Businessmen favor free enterprise in general but are opposed to it when it comes to themselves." - Milton Friedman
- By SpecialOlympian
- By Wellsy