Test for civilization

It is not for nothing that the fugitive Russian oligarchs, but with them, other Russians, who were a little lucky with money, choose the city of London as a place of permanent stay. The point is not only in the childhood "London Is a Capital of Great Britain". A resident of our country, which grew up in the USSR and tempered in the new Russia, literally touched the inscriptions: "Dear gentlemen, unfortunately, these gates are closed to the park, you can use others who are 150 feet northwest of this place. About why the directorate was forced to close these gates, you can find out from the representative of the administration." The phone and address are indicated.

For me, London is an oasis of calm, firm confidence that each person has rights that no one can cancel or ignore. ("Sir, I fulfill my duties, but I do not dispute your rights" - I suspect that the dog from the famous cartoon, who personified the good old England, made this contribution to the destruction of the USSR, where those who did not fulfill his duties did not have any rights at all). The life and life of the British capital is, if you like, the quintessence of liberalism: everyone is free to do anything until it infringes on the rights of others.

And now, on this beloved by me, London was struck a second time. We will not reassure ourselves with the absence of victims. Maybe the terrorist attack was prepared by the losers, who poorly studied the instructions for the equipment of explosive devices posted on the Internet. Or maybe the plan was in order to only scare, demonstrate the defenselessness of any metropolis in front of the terrorists.

Britain is now opposed by a powerful enemy. Scotland Yard, of course, was again on top. Two weeks after the first terrorist attack, the detectives established both direct performers of terrorist attacks and the organizer, which has already been detained in Pakistan. But what is the use of this, if some other group can repeat the terrorist attacks, which is not organizationally related to the first. The main problem is that dozens, if not hundreds of Muslims suddenly felt like an outcasts of modern civilization and that Bin Laden’s wild ideas find so many followers. No effective response to this challenge has been found. And he seems to be not only in the field of police and special services.

London is chosen by terrorist attacks not by chance. Its tolerance, dignity, confidence in the inviolability of laws is the personification of Western civilization. Terrorists put a terrible experiment on its stability. Will the Londoners remain as before, or the fear of an invisible enemy will turn into racism, xenophobia, the persecution of "strangers"?

Terrorists clearly expect that London Bobby will receive permission to behave like Moscow cops - stop a person in the subway only because his hair color and nose shape seem suspicious. In a word, they will change traditions, begin to "wet in the toilet." And then, there is no doubt, British Muslims, with mother’s milk, absorbing confidence in the inviolability of their own rights, will feel offended. As a result, some will find themselves in the ranks of Al-Qaeda supporters.

What will happen now in Britain is extremely important for Russia. Putin and his environment are very carefully looking at how the leaders of the great powers act in extreme situations. The Yukos case became possible after the American invasion of Iraq: President Putin, who never believed in democracy and the rule of law, considered them something like a club tie that was supposed to wear. And he wore for the time being, until he saw that his friend George, when he was impatient, spit on international law. Therefore, the main thing is not the laws, but the presence of strength and determination, the notorious "resource". The British will go along the path of "Extremely" - this will probably respond in Russia.