Vladimir Kara Murza
In a dream, Vladimir Putin sees the ghost of Joseph Stalin and asks for his advice on running the country. “Round up and shoot the opposition, and then repaint the Kremlin walls blue,” Stalin says. “Why blue?” Putin asks. “Very good,” Stalin replies, “I knew you wouldn’t ask about the first part.”
— Russian joke from 2000
As Russia’s December 4th parliamentary “elections” approach, opposition supporters are looking for a way to weaken the dominance of Vladimir Putin’s authoritarian kleptocracy—no easy task, with campaigning and voting strictly controlled, and several anti-Kremlin groups barred from the ballot altogether. In such context, some well-meaning Russians are considering a vote for the Communist Party as the “largest opposition group.” The argument is that, with strengthened Communists in the Duma, Putin’s supporters will have to “make deals and compromise,” which will change the political atmosphere.....
Article:
http://www.worldaffairsjournal...
