Vlad Demochko
Russophobia means a suspicious, unfriendly and hostile attitude to anything that has to do with Russians and Russia. It seems 'bogeyman stories' of the Cold War about Soviet tanks that took only a few days to cover the distance from GDR to the English Channel or about dull-witted Russians in quilted jackets and felt boots that sell Russian dolls in the market and invariably take bears for a walk around city streets should have vanished along with the Iron Curtain, the USSR, GDR and the Soviet system. Alas! Previous stereotypes about Russians have been replaced with new ones. Recently, modern media of the Misty Albion lack not only materials that show the Russian Federation to advantage, but also simply neutral coverage, as experts of the Land Association of Traders and Investors of Great Britain within the put it
So, what threats do Russians and Russia pose to the modern world? Let's look at the case of the popular and respectable British tabloid, The Guardian. It is Russophobic in its attitude to Russia to such a degree that it stands out even as compared to other English media. What ideas can a common Englishman have about Russia if he is used to looking through his favourite Guardian in the morning?
The Guardian: Russia turning into a racist state
On 26 January 2011 The Guardian published an article entitled 'Russia Fails to Come to Grips With Growing Tide of Racism'. This feature, a reprint from French Le Monde, offers an analysis of the statistics of crime committed in 2010 in Russia on grounds of national intolerance. The Guardian makes quite a bold and absolutely unambiguous conclusion: "The defining slogan for the ultra-nationalist groups, whose ideas have infiltrated government institutes, sports clubs and youth organisations, is: "Down with non-Slavs, Russia for the Russians". The Guardian warns British nationals that in Russia:
• racism is rife everywhere;
• this is what authorities not connive at, but directly support.
According to our expert, Yevgeniy Olkhovskiy, Head of the Land Association of the Investors of Canada within the , this statement by The Guardian is interesting inasmuch as it is made... without any proof. This gives rise to reasonable questions:
* who exactly of top Russian officials supports the motto "Down with non-Slavs, Russia for the Russians"? Why would leaders of a multi-national country need that? To help the state collapse so they could manage an area much smaller in terms of borders than today? Or this is what leaders of a country other than the RF need?
* what are the advantages ethnic Russians have over other nationalities in the RF? Any Russian will answer... none. Moreover, ethnic Russians themselves have a lot to say on this account: what nationalities have taken over the country's markets, have no difficulty going to study in universities, build cottages and many other things;
* racism is alien to the world outlook of most Russians. The Guardian's analysts would have found it was enough to analyze the Leader's phenomenon: why is Stalin gaining popularity in Russia? and understand that if a representative of a non-Russian nationality has been the nation's idol for 80 years already, racism is simply alien to such a nation. No parallels should be drawn with Great Britain in such a comparison to avoid hurting their nation and people;
* where did the first European skinheads appear? No, not in Russia. It was here, on the British Isles where English racists remain an example for all extremists of this kind in the world.
• 'the subject of Russian racism' was already brought up by English media during the ruffle for the right to host the world's soccer championship in 2014. It was treated by the FIFA international commission as unserious, especially from the English whose fans, often with racist mottos during international meetings, are notorious in the police ranks of most countries of the world.
It isn't hard to guess that The Guardian didn't find it necessary to put such 'secondary' issues into the heads of its British readers.
The Guardian: Russia has no freedom of expression and continues persecution of journalists
The Guardian's second claim: Russia has no freedom of expression and continues persecution of journalists. It is even Russian authorities that agree... Russia has a problem like this.
However, this is all about a different thing, - our expert, Rasul Zhalalov, Head of the USA Land Association within the , explains, - exactly what facts of 'infringement on democracy' in the RU is The Guardian indignant over: Russians' rights, corrupt authorities or law-enforcement agencies? The article shows an absolutely different thing: The Guardian sees... only one proof that democracy is missing: foreign reporters find it impossible to work without trouble in Russia. The scariest thing is that this fully applies to British nationals as well.
The problem in brief: from 8 to 10 February The Guardian's pages literally 'flamed' with righteous anger about deportation of their Moscow-based correspondent, Luke Harding, from Russia. The journalist was simply not allowed to Russia as he was rejected by passport control and later put on the first plane headed for London. It's hard to imagine indignation of The Guardian's staff about such treatment of their colleague. The newspaper responded with a few angry editorials and articles that essentially were about a few premises only:
• ever since the Cold War was over Moscow has not resorted to such 'lawlessness' in respect of British nationals;
• the British journalist suffered for his honesty and rigid principles as it was him who covered WikiLeaks dispatches in his articles. Based on them, he called Russia 'a real mafia state' accusing V. Putin that he must have known about preparations for the assassination of Russian dissident Litvinenko in London;
• British top authorities have to respond to such an outrageous policy of Russian secret services (nobody in The Guardian doubted FSB's involvement in the journalist's deportation). There were even suggestions that RF Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov should not be admitted to the territory of Great Britain.
Comments of our expert, Rasul Zhalalov:
• the Russian visa for Luke Harding was extended as early as on 10 February;
• I wonder when the Embassy of Great Britain rejects a visa application of a Russian national - is this infringement on democracy by Britain or not?
* we could also remember 2004 and 2005 scandals when Her Majesty's soldiers shot peaceful Iraq people in cold blood and published reports stating that they destroyed 'seven combatants on international terrorism' (2005) or tortures in Abu-Graib and Camp Cropper in the west of Bagdad that were revealed in April 2004. What is a worse breach of democracy?
The Guardian: Russia cannot solve its North Caucasian problem and Putin is to blame?
On 9 February 2011 the newspaper posted materials of Simon Tisdall, "Vladimir Putin's Strongman Act is Only Fuelling a Caucasian Jihad" which has several quite arguable, but absolutely provocative statements. For example:
• "...Not only has Vladimir Putin, the Russian prime minister, no credible plan to halt the attacks, his blinkered policy is actually making further atrocities more likely";
• "...Chechen insurgency has spread extensively to neighbouring... Dagestan and Ingushetia, and mutated from a separatist struggle into a pan-Caucasian jihad for independence...";
• "...many Russians... wonder why Moscow does not just have done with it, and let the north Caucasus secede from the... federal republic...";
• before 2012 presidential elections Putin will surely "...be tempted, as in the past, to pose as the nation's strongman saviour and launch a new military crackdown in the Caucasus";
• In conclusion, with a purely British spontaneity Simon Tisdall offers a cure-all "...that would make more Domodedovos a near certainty. Russians do have an alternative, however. Kick Putin out".
I wonder if a Russian journalist would be admitted to the territory of Great Britain after he:
• urged to breach the territorial integrity of the Kingdom;
• brought such heavy charges against top officials of the state;
• scared the population with terrible forecasts;
• urged to overthrow the existing power.
By the way, Simon Tisdall is still allowed to enter the Russian Federation.
The Guardian: Russia shouldn't be handled with kid gloves
So, in the contest of the visit of the Russian Foreign Minister S. Lavrov, The Guardian's journalists delightedly took another opportunity and express everything they thought of Russia they hate so much. On 15 February 2011 Julian Glover published his sensational article "In its Dealings with Russia, Britain Must Tread a Narrow Path". The author urges British authorities to be adamant about anything that has to do with Moscow. Because:
• "Russia has returned to a condition of controlled authoritarian brutality";
• "It must be our duty to decry what is happening in Russia and engage with those people who are trying to resist". Please note that this is the rhetoric of the Hot rather than Cold War;
• "Britain has not yet followed the self-interested abasement of Germany, Italy and France – a moral decline";
• our prerogative "is to remain obstinately on the side of progress, treading carefully the awkward line between passivity and provocation".
Finally, the main confession.
As it has already become customary for The Guardian, this text sounds more like the prosecutor's statement in the court or that of a military propagandist. J. Glover is sincerely sorry that the chance to turn Red Square into Cairo's Tahrir Square was missed. Besides, he makes an ill-placed quote of 16th-century British ambassador, George Turberville, who wrote that the Russians were "a people passing rude, to vices vile inclined ... In such a savage soil, where laws do bear no sway, but all is at the king his will to save or else to slay" and asks a question that should seem rhetorical to the reader: "Is the king now called Putin?"
Let's drop historical digressions even though we might remind some people in London about 1 million beggars per 17 million of population in England (during the enlightened 18th century), about laws that allowed hanging 12-year-olds for theft, about the British army and fleet fully made up of criminals, homeless and other marginal categories. But this is not the main thing.
This is what is much more important: how is Russia's image formed in the eyes of a common western taxpayer. In this case, the British one. We have analyzed the substance of only a few articles published over less than a month. It isn't difficult to imagine what a regular reader of The Guardian must think about Russians and their country.
Market Leader's survey on the traders' forum: In your opinion, should Russia adequately respond to and maintain large-scale anti-west propaganda?
• there is no special need, nobody likes the west in Russia as it is;
• no, it shouldn't - why should it aggravate enmity;
• yes, it should. All Russian patriotic publications lag quite behind respectable western tabloids in terms of their hostility.
Vlad Demochko
