Discussion Question: Before reading - Why do you believe Putin has kept his power?
How do you see Putin? What opinions do you have about him, if any?
Part I - Road to Presidency
1991 marked the year that Boris Yelstin became the first president of Russia, as well as the year that the KGB (In English “Committee for State Security”) dissolved. The KGB was essentially the Soviet Union’s secret service, the main function being to protect communist leaders and high ranking officials. Vladimir Putin had joined the KGB in 1975 fresh out of Leningrad State University. Although the KGB formally ended in December of 1991, Vladimir Putin had left months earlier in August to pursue his career in politics. Putin was appointed assistant Mayor among other political positions from 1991 to 1996 in St. Petersburg. It was here that Putin gathered a group of supporters including Russian Mafia Crime Bosses, newly established Oligarchs, KGB officers, and corrupt politicians. These connections allowed Putin to climb up the political ladder and establish his presence as a leader. Near the end of his time in St. Petersburg, Putin was almost fired because of a foreign relations scandal but kept his position. In 1999, Boris Yeltsin appointed Putin as Prime Minister of Russia. Putin was discontent with Yeltsin's relationship with the U.S. and was fearful of NATO taking over the crumbling Soviet Union. Putin being the fierce Russian nationalist that he was, planned to strengthen Russia’s borders and maintain an unbreakable Russian state that would have more power over the West. During the same year, terrorists in Chechnya, a state that broke away from Russia, bombed multiple areas in Russia and killed over three hundred. This gave Putin the opportunity to handle the situation well, display his talents, and win over the presidential vote in no time at all.
Part II - Cult of Personality Begins
Boris Yelstin unexpectedly resigned via a live T.V. broadcast, ostensibly to push Putin forward as president. Putin was inaugurated on May 7th 2000. Now, one could say this is where the corruption began. One of the very first things Putin did was sign a decree stating any acting or former president would essentially not be charged with anything, and any criminal investigations would be dropped promptly. This got Yeltsin and Putin out of trouble right away. Although one could argue that the personality cult of Putin comes nowhere near that of Stalin, there still exists a skeleton of the Soviet’s past. Putin is adored by a large percentage of Russians.
This article from newsweek.com, and information from Levada Center highlights some statistics regarding the Russian population's view of their president.
“Over 80 percent of Russians say they approve of Putin's performance as president, a rating that has remained constant since the Kremlin annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014—a step that the vast majority here support. Many Russians are grateful. For some people, especially the wealthier residents of Moscow and St. Petersburg, the country's two biggest cities, life has never been better. Russia has the fastest-growing number of millionaires in the world, and Moscow is home to 73 billionaires, according to Forbes. Russian life expectancy is now 71, a record high and an increase of six years since 2000, when Putin was first elected. Putin has also boosted spending on the military, restoring something of the Soviet Union's global influence—a source of pride for millions of people here”.
From the guardian , “Vladimir Putin’s approval rating is at record levels, with nine out of 10 Russians saying they have a positive view of their president. Putin had an approval of 87% in July, and an all-time high of 89% in June, according to Levada Centre polling.”
So how does Putin keep his power? Although it is almost certain Russia’s presidential elections are rigged with the extremely high percentages of 76% and above in favor of Putin, corrupt elections aren't the only reason Putin stays in power. Aside from political suppression mainly fueling Putin’s reign, it is also his own public image that keeps him afloat. In 2007, Putin was TIME Magazines “Person of the Year”. He is widely regarded as one of the most popular political figures in the world. Putin’s name is featured on numerous products including Putin branded Foods, Vodka, Chocolate Bars, Expensive Caviar, and of course all of the unofficial “merch” including Putin T-shirts. Putin has created a Macho Man/Tough guy image for himself, seen doing outdoor activities like fishing, hiking, diving, hunting, and horseback riding, often shirtless. Although, many of these photos have been revealed to be staged, further exaggerating his coolness. This image contributes to the public's view of him, many seeing him as a superhero of their country.
Part III - Putin 2036
Although we cannot know for certain what the future holds for Russia, we can wager that without Vladimir Putin, the world will not be the same. Something that is clear, is that Russians are not prepared, or at least do not know yet what exactly will happen when Putin leaves. He is what keeps Russia together, the one they look up to. From a the guardian article just last month in March, the world learned that the Kremlin nullified the Russian Constitution, and enabled Putin to break the presidential term boundaries to run for another two terms after 2024.
“A final hurdle to be crossed is a nationwide referendum on constitutional changes that is scheduled for April 22. That exercise, too, is little more than a formality because of the Kremlin’s tight grip on the news media and bodies responsible for organizing the vote, not to speak of a ban on public protests”.
A course theme that is connected to this is, “The individual's relationship with mass society”. Only time will tell what the repercussions of Putin’s three-decade reign will bring to Russia.
Discussion Question: After reading - What would America look like with Putin/ a Putin type leader as president? How would we function differently?
Sources: The Guardian - Putin Approval
RTX73BPT.jpg (Putin Photo)
The Russian people deserve better, but he's got a grip on the Russian media in addition to being a shrewd politician in the form of a right wing "populist" billionaire. What do you get when you mix right wing populism with corporatism? Fascism, minus the concentration camps.
ReplyDeleteTo top it off, Putin's internet trolls projected disinformation about COVID to Americans through social media -- so human casualties are now part of this slow motion information war we are losing to Russia. Putin is an OG super-villain and Facebook has become a national security issue. Down with Putin!
What would America look like with Putin/a Putin type leader as president? How would we function differently?
ReplyDeleteAmerica would look extremely different with a Putin type leader in power considering the much more diverse society that we have. The many different groups that make up America would likely be oppressed by the one group that ends up in power for an indefinite amount of time. As seen in Russia, those that don't support him are likely oppressed and silenced without any repercussions because it benefits those in power.