President gives one - ministers rob everyone
Foreign analysts have issued a mountain of materials about President Putin’s “Straight Line”. Russian domestic politics and life in Russia are occupied by journalists and experts from the United States, Europe, and Arab monarchies. To many foreigners, Putin is not the president, but the king, and his pocket governors are local feudal lords. According to Western analysts, “Straight Line” is the next series of the Russian play “The Good King against the Bad Boyars”. This time the show took place even without viewers in the audience.
Oliver Carroll in the British newspaper «The Independent» called Putin on the “Straight Line” “warlike”, which is “characteristic” for the Russian president. As the Briton points out, Putin warned "about the prospects for a third world war," recalling Einstein's famous saying about sticks and stones in the fourth world war, but "declined" from the prospects for the withdrawal of Russian troops from Syria.
Putin’s “straight line,” recalls the journalist, is an annual tradition in the Russian political calendar. This is a well staged performance. This year it reached the point that even the studio audience was not present at the performance. Putin looked at the governors and ministers, whose faces were displayed on the wall of the screens.
This is “a visualization of the new Russian feudalism,” the British author sarcastically remarks. The “ruling class of the bad boyars” meekly hears the “good king”, while a “live audience” watches this fascinating spectacle.
In all other respects, Putin’s “Straight Line” was held in exactly the same way as similar events in years past.
In the traditional “economic preamble”, Mr. Putin listed “the achievements of the country”. According to him, Russia has entered a period of steady growth, with excellent inflation rates and an impressive level of direct investment.
Then a number of problems were voiced and their solution to Putin: high gasoline prices (oil companies are threatened with a finger); the family can not get land (the governor will understand); a dilapidated hospital is about to collapse (the governor and the minister should wind on a mustache); they closed the school in the village (the decision was canceled); the mortgage discount is denied to a family with four children (the discount is promised).
"One of the features of the show" was very surprised by Mr. Carroll. He was struck by "text messages, as it is supposed, sent by TV viewers and displayed at the bottom of screens". Carroll is not sure that they are filtered, but does not exclude that the messages "are used to create the illusion of a plurality of opinions." In any case, this is surprising, the journalist believes.
According to the BBC, several dozen people who were given the opportunity to ask questions were “trained” in front of the “Direct Line” in a hotel in the Moscow region, Carroll continues.
“Of course, questions are filtered, and the president is asked only those questions that are answered,” former Kremlin adviser Andrei Kolyadin told a correspondent. “The purpose of this show is to show that the state is capable of solving problems.”
This is also written by Christine Evans and Susan Wangle in Washington Post.
The authors believe that the "straight line" is set to suggest the following "image" to citizens: Russians are drawn to their president and even "are ready to believe that he and his administration can offer solutions."
The studio version of communication with the people, perhaps, is designed and "to compensate for the actual remoteness and inaccessibility of Putin."
In the Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet (the translation is posted on "InoSMI") an article by Maria Georgieva was published. The author makes fun of Putin, who, apparently, is not aware of the blockages of some social networks in Russia.
When two bloggers asked the president of Russia if Instagram would not be blocked in the country, Putin replied that he understood their concerns, but first of all he was concerned about the country's security. The President stressed that before the terrorist attack in St. Petersburg in 2017, it was not possible to track the correspondence of terrorists in the Telegraph. Then Putin added that no social networks will be blocked. “He may have forgotten,” notes the journalist, “that since the autumn of 2016, the LinkedIn social network has already been blocked to search for business contacts.”
As for Telegraf, the Russian special services lost in the fight. As a result, access to a variety of third-party sites and services has suffered.
The first "line" took place in 2001 year. Sixteen times "he did it." Thus, Vladimir Putin passes the “endurance test,” Rory Chelands notes on the website. Al-Jazeera.
The current “straight line” took four hours and twenty minutes. “Line” serves as one of the means to create “the image of macho Vladimir Putin,” the author is convinced. What other world leader can do such a feat?
Much of the content of Putin’s responses is addressed to an internal audience, reminds the analyst. The crisis with oil prices. Western sanctions. The influence of both on the Russian economy. But ... hooray! Thanks to the "good work of a tireless government ahead - sunny times." At least, such a message was brought out of Putin's “Line” Chelands.
Of course, there is no hope for reform initiatives. Putin’s fourth presidential term is characterized by “mostly cosmetic changes.” The expectations of the reform agenda that had been roaming among the people before the March elections turned out to be in vain. In addition, the confrontation with the West continues ...
While the “Line” was in progress, while the people who chose Putin lost their last hope for “initiatives” and “reforms” (or rather, for state justice), other processes took place in the government. Apparently, the ones that abroad are not without irony called "cosmetic changes." And the main change is not at all the issue of the more expensive gasoline.
14 June, the Russian government will approve the concept of pension reform. That which provides for raising the retirement age of citizens. As a base accepted option with an increase in the retirement age for men to 65 years, for women - to 63 years. True, there is a reservation: for women, the “gap” in the old and new retirement ages can be mitigated - raise the bar only to sixty years.
Recall, this is only a concept project. However, it is reported that the retirement age of Russians may fall under the "concept" from next year. The government is in a hurry: in May, Dmitry Medvedev said that the government “in the shortest possible period” will submit to the State Duma proposals for raising the retirement age. Medvedev pointed out that the current retirement borders were set when the average life expectancy in the country "was in the 40 years area." With 1930's, the conditions, possibilities and desire of people to work have changed, the new old premier believes.
What's going on?
But this: while the president is targeted, he “writes out” the mortgage discount for a single family, his government is engaged in projects on a nationwide scale. The president gives one - ministers rob everyone. The fact is obvious: boyars are bad!
Oliver Carroll in the British newspaper «The Independent» called Putin on the “Straight Line” “warlike”, which is “characteristic” for the Russian president. As the Briton points out, Putin warned "about the prospects for a third world war," recalling Einstein's famous saying about sticks and stones in the fourth world war, but "declined" from the prospects for the withdrawal of Russian troops from Syria.
Putin’s “straight line,” recalls the journalist, is an annual tradition in the Russian political calendar. This is a well staged performance. This year it reached the point that even the studio audience was not present at the performance. Putin looked at the governors and ministers, whose faces were displayed on the wall of the screens.
This is “a visualization of the new Russian feudalism,” the British author sarcastically remarks. The “ruling class of the bad boyars” meekly hears the “good king”, while a “live audience” watches this fascinating spectacle.
In all other respects, Putin’s “Straight Line” was held in exactly the same way as similar events in years past.
In the traditional “economic preamble”, Mr. Putin listed “the achievements of the country”. According to him, Russia has entered a period of steady growth, with excellent inflation rates and an impressive level of direct investment.
Then a number of problems were voiced and their solution to Putin: high gasoline prices (oil companies are threatened with a finger); the family can not get land (the governor will understand); a dilapidated hospital is about to collapse (the governor and the minister should wind on a mustache); they closed the school in the village (the decision was canceled); the mortgage discount is denied to a family with four children (the discount is promised).
"One of the features of the show" was very surprised by Mr. Carroll. He was struck by "text messages, as it is supposed, sent by TV viewers and displayed at the bottom of screens". Carroll is not sure that they are filtered, but does not exclude that the messages "are used to create the illusion of a plurality of opinions." In any case, this is surprising, the journalist believes.
"Why money for Tanks"bombs, planes, machine guns when there is no money for people?"
“You have been in power for so long. Do you think we have a monarchy? ”
“Why are bananas twice cheaper than apples, are we a banana republic?”
“You have been in power for so long. Do you think we have a monarchy? ”
“Why are bananas twice cheaper than apples, are we a banana republic?”
According to the BBC, several dozen people who were given the opportunity to ask questions were “trained” in front of the “Direct Line” in a hotel in the Moscow region, Carroll continues.
“Of course, questions are filtered, and the president is asked only those questions that are answered,” former Kremlin adviser Andrei Kolyadin told a correspondent. “The purpose of this show is to show that the state is capable of solving problems.”
This is also written by Christine Evans and Susan Wangle in Washington Post.
The authors believe that the "straight line" is set to suggest the following "image" to citizens: Russians are drawn to their president and even "are ready to believe that he and his administration can offer solutions."
The studio version of communication with the people, perhaps, is designed and "to compensate for the actual remoteness and inaccessibility of Putin."
In the Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet (the translation is posted on "InoSMI") an article by Maria Georgieva was published. The author makes fun of Putin, who, apparently, is not aware of the blockages of some social networks in Russia.
When two bloggers asked the president of Russia if Instagram would not be blocked in the country, Putin replied that he understood their concerns, but first of all he was concerned about the country's security. The President stressed that before the terrorist attack in St. Petersburg in 2017, it was not possible to track the correspondence of terrorists in the Telegraph. Then Putin added that no social networks will be blocked. “He may have forgotten,” notes the journalist, “that since the autumn of 2016, the LinkedIn social network has already been blocked to search for business contacts.”
As for Telegraf, the Russian special services lost in the fight. As a result, access to a variety of third-party sites and services has suffered.
The first "line" took place in 2001 year. Sixteen times "he did it." Thus, Vladimir Putin passes the “endurance test,” Rory Chelands notes on the website. Al-Jazeera.
The current “straight line” took four hours and twenty minutes. “Line” serves as one of the means to create “the image of macho Vladimir Putin,” the author is convinced. What other world leader can do such a feat?
Much of the content of Putin’s responses is addressed to an internal audience, reminds the analyst. The crisis with oil prices. Western sanctions. The influence of both on the Russian economy. But ... hooray! Thanks to the "good work of a tireless government ahead - sunny times." At least, such a message was brought out of Putin's “Line” Chelands.
Of course, there is no hope for reform initiatives. Putin’s fourth presidential term is characterized by “mostly cosmetic changes.” The expectations of the reform agenda that had been roaming among the people before the March elections turned out to be in vain. In addition, the confrontation with the West continues ...
* * *
While the “Line” was in progress, while the people who chose Putin lost their last hope for “initiatives” and “reforms” (or rather, for state justice), other processes took place in the government. Apparently, the ones that abroad are not without irony called "cosmetic changes." And the main change is not at all the issue of the more expensive gasoline.
14 June, the Russian government will approve the concept of pension reform. That which provides for raising the retirement age of citizens. As a base accepted option with an increase in the retirement age for men to 65 years, for women - to 63 years. True, there is a reservation: for women, the “gap” in the old and new retirement ages can be mitigated - raise the bar only to sixty years.
Recall, this is only a concept project. However, it is reported that the retirement age of Russians may fall under the "concept" from next year. The government is in a hurry: in May, Dmitry Medvedev said that the government “in the shortest possible period” will submit to the State Duma proposals for raising the retirement age. Medvedev pointed out that the current retirement borders were set when the average life expectancy in the country "was in the 40 years area." With 1930's, the conditions, possibilities and desire of people to work have changed, the new old premier believes.
What's going on?
But this: while the president is targeted, he “writes out” the mortgage discount for a single family, his government is engaged in projects on a nationwide scale. The president gives one - ministers rob everyone. The fact is obvious: boyars are bad!
- Oleg Chuvakin
- kremlin.ru
Information