The Unholy Alliance
Wednesday, March 3, 2010 at 6:06PM This is the first follow-up to my recent post about the failure of coloured revolutions in the post-Soviet space. What I am going to recount here is a surreal, symbiotic relationship I recently came across on the internet...
A while ago, I got engaged in a discussion underneath a post on Streetwise Professor, where he recounts his meeting with Oleg Kozlovsky, I admit I was trolling a bit with La Russophobe. This trolling was necessary because in it La Russophobe disclosed that their's (hers, his... hell knows) blog was instrumental in bringing Oleg to the attention of Western audience...
LR has translated dozens of articles from the Russian press that would never have seen the light of day and our blog is primarily responsible for bringing Oleg Kozlovsky to the attention of the Western press. This is the first mass-audience piece written about him:
http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/kozlovsky/
By LR’s founder, of course. From it came Oleg’s WaPo coverage and Op-ed, and from that his human rights award and entry into mainstream Western consciousness.
So La Russophobe regularly translates Oleg's articles and promotes him in the West, in fact takes credit for being the main media outlet responsible for rising Oleg's star in the Occident. I have very ambiguous feelings about it for which I am unable to finds words. Simply, I'm speechless. I could dismiss this as psychotic ramblings of a deranged individual (individuals?) that hides behind the nick La Russophobe but this would be so if I didn't read this from Oleg himself, on what he thinks about La Russophobe...
As for LR, they are quite odd, of course. Their comments on Russian sports, culture etc. are laughable; their opinions on Russian politics are sometimes exaggerated. But they really are one of the few English-language sources of alternative information from Russia. They have a lot of exclusive translations and they also collect other Russia-related stuff, all in one place. So I find them a useful site, of course if you read it along with the others and can critically assess the information. I don’t know who is behind this project although I have some guesses.
Laughable, exaggerated? How about, condemnable and racist? I will return to condemnation of racism later in my post but let me first deconstruct other claims made by Oleg. Oleg wrote that 'Les Russophobes' are one of the few English-language sources of 'alternative' information from Russia. As we already heard from Les Russophobes themselves Pravda on the Potomac (aka. The Washington Post), a major US paper whose dismal coverage is consistently dismantled by the Ivanov Report (a true source of alternative views from Russia), is all but ready to publish Oleg's articles. The Wall Street Journal, another major US publication, features Kasparov on regular basis. Despite the fact that Kozlovsky and Kasparov are political nobodies on the Russian scene, they get a lot of space in Western media, yet Oleg's comment implies that the media in the West are all repeating the official Kremlin line. Interesting reasoning indeed.
Furthermore Oleg claims he suspects certain people of being behind behind La Russophobe. How did he come to know them, in the first place? This brings us to the issue of Oleg's potential condemnation and dissociation from La Russophobe. I think, given Oleg's situation, that dissociating from La Russophobe through condemnation would be politically expedient. Oleg is a leader of a movement which wants to bring a substantial number of Russians into the streets and through these mass protests achieve the fall of Putin. Oleg and his organisation called Oborona are fighting for influence among Russians, yet they he is happy to have a friend that calls Russians subhuman, Russian culture deficient and all in all is just as hostile towards Russians as it is towards Putin. It's like Martin Luther King getting support from the KKK, does Oleg honestly think the civil rights movement would get anywhere if word spread that they are being supported by clansmen?
But unfortunately dissociating from La Russophobe through condemnation doesn't look like an easy task. Oleg is after all familiar with the circles that produce it, or so he claims. It should be noted that the websites that regularly give room to Oleg, such as that of the Streetwise Professor, Ed Lucas and Robert Amsterdam all link to La Russophobe. Any harsh words in this direction would cause him some enemies and probably lessen his standing in the Western Russophobic press and Neo-liberal think tanks. No more op-eds, no more lectures, no more awards and no more money. Yes money, that's what it all boils down to.
Oleg lives a relatively good life by being popular in some influential Western circles and having relativelly no influence in Russia. Imagine, he gets his monthly dose of adrenalin on unsanctioned demonstrations, confronting the OMON, while he gets paid by the press and think-tanks in the West. Why care about being a genuine political leader? I might be thinking on behalf of Oleg too much here, but I could not come with another answer to his downplaying of La Russophobe's racism.
Reader Comments (21)
la russophobe are a joke.
Any respect that they couild possible have is eroded by Kim Zigfeld's childishness. If they focused only on geopoliticvs, economics, demographics etc in a critical view of Russia, although I might not agree with them, they would be a relatively repsectful outlet. But when Kim basically goes into ranting about Maria Sharapova it just makes her look childish and silly-- which I suppose is a good thing. i was cracking myself up at the last one- a 'special edition' covering Russia in the olympic games. A special report supposedly.
Its not only Maria Sharapova, it is everything from cuisine to language they slander. And frankly, in this way attract internet's most notorious Russia haters who contribute some of the worst racist filth out there. If it would be about these trolls only it would be a joke but the fact that serious people pay that place any heed makes it not funny.
I repeat, it's not funny!
It's strange why kozlovsky associates himself with those think he is subhuman.
Russian emigres of all nationalities and political hues have always kept at least one aspect of their homeland alive, even if only a small thing like cusine, music or literature.
So by La Russophobe's standards a Soviet defector who also happened to like traditional Russian cusine while living in the west or defected because he was an orthodox christian would be a 'barbarian', not for being a soviet defector but for liking such things that have are traditionally associated with Russia.
I still think they are funny, they are doing no actual harm to Russia (obviously no good either). The real problems in Russia are domestic issues, drugs, alcohol, prostitution, poor safety standards, low birthrates etc. I suppose you could say that they are portraying a poor public perception of Russia, which would harm it's reputation, but that is carried out on a much wider scale than La Russophobe, all the mainstream western media has an element of Russophobia in it.
These problems are regularly talked about in the Russian media because they are real and pressing indeed. The problem with a large part of the Western media is that they report them with the intent to sneer at Russia. They do not seem to notice and do not wish to that the statistics improved for the better in the last 10 years. This does not play into the scripted narrative. I would say their reporting is correct but half baked.
La Russophobe doesn't view Kozlovsky as a subhuman in fact. She said in an interview given to Siberian Light's that she protects a minority of Russians, like Kozlovsky for instance. It is the rest that she views as subhuman, the rest which should be Kozlovsky's natural constituency.
http://www.siberianlight.net/interview-la-russophobe/
I think you are getting carried away with the idea of these "circles."
Yes, we link to La Russophobe, just like we link to Sublime Oblivion and anybody else who regularly writes about Russia. I think if you read more closely, you would find that LR spends most of her time criticizing us - call it healthy debate.
Insofar as Oleg, a brave young man and accomplished youth leader, if he is so insignificant and ineffectual in Russia, then why would the authorities bother with a forced conscription to the Army, visa denials, and occasional violent attacks? Further, isn't there much more money to be made by being a stooge for the state, if that's the only motivation behind his actions?
Anyways, I realize this is a waste of time, you hate us, Putin's awesome yadda yadda yadda. But I just thought I would drop in this one detail that there are more than two tones in the spectrum.
I have seen the debate you are having with La Russophobe when you backed off from your comments.
Visa's are not given out by Russian authorities but by the US embassy, the drama was about a passport. Many young Russians were dragged into the army. Also how do you know violent attacks are done by authorities. All of these Oleg's stories have holes in them, much like a lot of other information coming from Solidarity and Oborona. I have documented their stunts here.
Besides, the very fact that they demonstrate together with Communists, LDPR and other very liberal groups only speaks for it self when it comes to influence.
"Putin's awesome yadda yadda yadda" are your words not mine.
Isn't army recruitment of 6 month or a year mandatory in Russia just like they have in Israel?
http://rt.com/Top_News/2009-10-26/recruitment-troubles-russian-army.html
I know what was suggested with military reforms replacing a conscript army with a professional private unite
@James
Perhaps you would care to mention the fact that virtually all the oposition (groups, media,"human rights" organisations, etc) in Russia are financed by Soros, the CIA (NED, US AID), EU and the British Foreign Office and who used the same tactic in Serbia that that have been doing in Russia.
Correction "units" instaed of "unite" I am having problems with my wireless keyboard.
@Leoš Tomíček
Suprised you haven't made a post about the Karadizc trail.
@ jack
I have two months to hand in my course work, one of the essays is a rather extensive issue. I am unable to do research on Karadzic trial at present. I have no time to do any posts as we speak in fact.
@ jack
Natalie made few posts about Kardzic's trial, they are worth reading
http://www.birdbrainblog.com/
@Leoš Tomíček
I wasn't meaning a researched post just your opinion on the matter. I didn't realise you had work to do though. What course are you studying?
"I think if you read more closely, you would find that LR spends most of her time criticizing us - call it healthy debate."
What debate, James? Phoby gives you a spanking, and you hang your head and go off to stand in the corner. No "debate" there at all. "Debate" only happens if you reject her vituperative attacks and counterattack.
James (why never a surname?) doesn't want to defend Phobie. Good for him. I just wish they would occasionally point out how much damage such deranged sites do to Mr. Amsterdam's causes in the eyes of regular Russians and foreigners who wish Russia well. Of course LR is just a front for someone else and becoming a rather less significant front every day, so perhaps ignoring 'her' is the best strategy. However, every time 'she' posts at Pajamas Media I remind any readers, all twenty or so of them, that this person or group of persons is likely connected with the Jamestown Foundation.
Ok sorry James you might prefer to post without surname because you too don't want to be Google bombed. And that's A-OK.
Jack & Leos
This past week, K's trial is headline news along with the issue of what happened to the Armenians at the end of WW I. The latter has been raised on Capital Hill.
The G word has been brought up in both instances. Beware of some demagogues who profess that both constitute genocide. Note how they don't use the term "genocide denier" at Turkish officials who reject calling what happened to the Armenians a genocide.
Meantime, what happened to the Armenians is arguably better slotted as a genocide than what occurred during the last decade in Bosnia.
Re:
"Yes, we link to La Russophobe, just like we link to Sublime Oblivion and anybody else who regularly writes about Russia."
****
As of this time, the above excerpted isn't true. Sublime Oblivion and other venues like Birdbrain, Mat Rodina, The Ivanov Report, Austere Insomniac, and Russia Blog aren't linked at the referred to venue.
There's a difference between how some like Siberian Light link in a politically across the board way and others which link along a certain slant.
One is entitled to do the latter. Why suggest that such manner isn't evident when it's pretty clear?
@ rkka
Yeah, James can also explain how being paid by Nashi is better than doing lectures at American universities and think tanks. I am also doubtful Oleg has the ability to do real politics.
@ jack
I'm doing an MA in Nationalism studies.
@ Mike
I must say I am a bit selective in who I link to. But I don't mind Russophobes. For example the Czech blog DFENS sometimes publishes border-line Russophobia akin to that of LR. The difference is that the blog is not devoted to that type of content. It focuses on criticizing the deeds of corrupt politicians in my home-town and elsewhere in the Czech Republic. I also link to SWP.
I think the Americans are walking on a thin thread when they deal with Turkey. Leaving the atrocities of the WWI aside, it looks like they were estranging the Turks further and further in the past decade. I wish I could follow the story of Capitol Hill vote at present, but sadly find no time to do so...
Leos
I'm all for the eclectic approach which can periodically include finding points of agreement with folks who one doesn't typically agree with.
@Mike
I think the Armenian vote is politically motivated in regards to Turkeys worsening relations with Israel as before senior Clinton staff officials like Cohen and Albright who set up a commission to prevent genocide "Genocide Prevention Task Force" were at the forefront of supporting Islamic terrorism in the Balkans as well as historians and senators for years have blocked official US recognition of the Armenian genocide.
“Cohen told members of the media with a straight face that the task force is going "to look certainly to the past for lessons" in order to prepare a set of recommendations to the U.S. government on how best to respond to future threats of genocide. He stated that mass violence is "inimical to human behavior, to human decency, [and] to our sense of humanity....We can no longer live in a state of denial or willful indifference." These bold words are from a man whose company, The Cohen Group, is affiliated with DLA Piper, one of the major lobbying firms hired by the Turkish government, at a cost of $100,000 per month, to deny the facts of the Armenian Genocide.”
http://www.wvwnews.net/story.php?id=2469
Actually what is not mentioned in regards to the Armenian genocide is that it was directed and orchestrated from London by the Young Turks who wanted a corridor for a future oil and gas pipeline that were recently discovered in Azerbaijan linked to the future (failed) annexation of the Caucasus with the support of the Marxist terrorist overthrow of the Tzarist regime (both Rothschild supported) which is now the BTC pipeline.
It is interesting how Obama was against the vote and Brzezinski in a series of articles for Foreign Policy magazine laments the fact that of Jewish influence in the US is pushing for war against Iran rather than his even more disastrous Balkanisation and war against the Eurasian sphere.
Rather a war against an Islamic theocracy in Iran than a disastrous war in Eurasia.
@ Leoš Tomíček
There’s a funny Czech website the basically said that everything is some grand global KGB conspiracy. It is the equivalent of Judicial Inc.
A left I comment on Natalia’s blog and apparently it is not archived like the Milosevic trail and you have to watch it live. I hope Andy Wilcox does a trail report like he did Milosevic when the trail gets underway.
@ jack
There were some articles in the Czech mass-media that tried to contemplate President's Klaus' links to Russian secret services because he is Russia-realist and euro-skeptic. I thought the journalist would think about the stupidity of such a claim but they still continue publish this idiocy. Interestingly enough, majority of the readers point out the folly in comments and some high-profile commentators did so as well.
James is a coward or hypocrite (pick whichever's more charitable) in his stance towards LR, and a man entirely comfortable with smearing you while maintaining a smiling, civil face.
I just checked, and I didn't see a link to S/O on the RA blogroll (nor have I ever), and the only time they ever mentioned me was when my interview appeared at Andy's blog (to the best of my knowledge). So his comment on this thread is a misrepresentation at the very least... probably closer to an outright lie.
LR almost seems to display a refreshing openness in comparison.
Re-Kozlovsly and the Army. He has a medical condition preventing him from serving, though since he's fit to go on frequent demonstrations and meetings with foreign NGOs it's quite obvious it is faked. Not to condemn him over this - a lot of Russian men do this.
Thus, his induction into the Army was probably quite legal, albeit arbitrary and unfair (but not more so than the entire conscription system as it currently stands).