No idiotic red tape

It’s embarrassing to remember how happy some were that a lawyer, and not a security officer, became the new president of Russia. The intellectual part of Russian society has drowned in grandiosity and unreasonable hopes. Others were simply choked with delight - the thaw was about to begin, the warm wind of change was already blowing, but there was no need to put pressure on the president.

But here, no matter what you push, no matter what, a Soviet lawyer is the same as a security officer. And Dmitry Medvedev proves this with constant success. Speaking on Wednesday in Stavropol at a meeting with the participation of members of the Security Council on the issue of “stabilizing the socio-political situation and measures to neutralize terrorist and extremist threats in the North Caucasus region,” he proposed two drastic measures and gave one fiery advice.

These are the measures. Change the territorial jurisdiction in cases of extremism and terrorism. That is, judge not where the crime was committed, but where the most controlled court is. The second measure is to remove terrorism cases from the jurisdiction of the jury. “Juries fail for a number of reasons. We need to think about having these panels reviewed by a panel of professional judges,” the president explained.

He supported his proposals for the fight against terrorism with one very familiar piece of advice: “We must continue to fight them without ceremony, eliminating them without emotion or hesitation, otherwise we will not achieve success.” Familiar tone, isn't it? This is precisely the recommendation for combating the enemies of Bolshevism that Lenin gave in his time: “Without idiotic red tape and without asking anyone’s permission, shoot, shoot, shoot.”

This phrase contained all of Lenin, just as today’s phrase contains all of Medvedev. Lenin patronized Gorky, met with Wales, and loved Beethoven. Medvedev gives interviews to Novaya, meets with human rights activists, and likes to talk about freedom. All this tinsel had nothing to do with their main business - strengthening corporate power at the expense of civil liberties and public interests.

It is easy to notice that most of Medvedev’s good deeds are of a private, even personal nature, and most of his antisocial undertakings are of a systemic, normative nature. In the best traditions of domestic propaganda (which is now not quite rightly called PR), he can do a “spot” good deed, which will be trumpeted throughout the world by the servile press. But as soon as it comes to systemic changes, for example, changes in legislation or relationships with other countries, there is no trace of his generosity. Here Medvedev appears in the image of a tough pragmatist, Putin’s faithful falcon, a reliable protege of the clan that nurtured him.

There is nothing new in all this. The only surprising thing is that still a huge number of not at all stupid people, according to a strange Russian custom, continue to rely on Medvedev as a possible reformer. Contrary to the obvious, they continue to hope for changes for the better, which will happen at the behest of the president or on their own. Hope is a good thing, but in everything you need to know when to stop. As the satirical poet Don Aminado said, “you have to hope until the last minute. But at the last minute you can stop.”