Plague on both of your plagues?

Today there was one small piece of news: the mayor of Petrozavodsk was dismissed. The chairman of the City Council announced numerous claims, but did not provide specifics.

Question: Is it true that the reason for the resignation was violations. My answer: I don't think so. Do violations often occur in modern Russia? Violations of the law and the Basic Law? Misappropriation and double standards? My answer: yes, every day... How does this relate to the civic beliefs of the decision makers? Yes directly.

A person of the system can do anything - from running over (in the literal sense of the word) a pedestrian on a zebra crossing to killing a prisoner in a pre-trial detention center. We have seen this in the news many times. Moreover, it is often simply impossible to function without disturbances. For example, a person was detained. And we need witnesses to his illegal actions. But there are no witnesses. Because there were no illegal actions as such. But now what, let the troublemaker go unpunished? Of course not. And there are “witnesses” who were ordered by someone to testify in favor of the necessary charges. There are judges who do not listen to the testimony of the defense. There are border guards who detain persona non grata under flimsy pretexts. Do they need it? Not likely. They were simply told: do whatever you want, but you need such and such a result.

Or the poor doctors in hospitals after “Nord-Ost” - they said, write “death occurred from an exacerbation of chronic diseases,” and not as a result of the use of an unknown gas. They write. Should we send people from some organization to a rally “in support”? Sent. Contrary to all rules and laws. Should people be denied permission to hold an action? They refuse without bothering with any weighty pretexts. Employees of the tax service or utility services were told: find critical violations in the activities of such and such an organization - they find them. And they recognize her as hostile. Send polite little green men to region “X” - they send...

Whatever, it’s everyday life. Moreover, if there is ever an opportunity to objectively, according to all the rules, compare the effectiveness of the “opposition” mayor of Petrozavodsk with the effectiveness of any other Russian mayor of more loyal convictions, the result is unknown what else will be. Although I suppose that living in a world of mutual responsibility and not sharing it is quite difficult.

However, we will not see objective assessments under this government. Recently, I can remember perhaps a couple of cases when a person did not do what was required of him, contrary to the law - this is when the rector of the Higher School of Economics refused to “take action” against his students who participated in civil actions. Also, perhaps, the so-called incident of Plyushchev, whom Venediktov refused to fire, but everything is much more complicated there... In all other cases, “submission and humiliation” occurs with a known result.

When I read in 2009 about the mayor of Caracas going to a rally in support of a famous prisoner, a kind of Venezuelan Khodorkovsky, I understood that this was the level of acceptable freedoms in the country. As for our country, I can remember - again regarding Khodorkovsky - congratulatory telegrams from the heads of state corporations on his birthday. It was brave. Kudrin was also at the 2011 rally. This exhausts the entire resource of possible disagreement in power. Everything else is impossible. Do as they say, come what may, if you behave well, they will scold you. Does this attitude make anyone more effective? And what do you think?

But, brothers, I’m talking about something else... Just now I read on a social network a statement by Vasya Oblomov: “I don’t understand why I’m accused of disliking Russia. I don't like idiots. But for some reason they believe that they are Russia.” Nice statement. “I hang it up” on my own page. And then a comment from one comrade appears: I hope this also applies to liberal idiots? Well, of course, my dear, let’s say Peter! And to them too. But how many of your fellow citizens can you remember who were put in paddy wagons in violation of the law, detained in violation of the law, who received fines, days and real sentences from the so-called liberal idiots? The answer is: well, that's right, some idiots persecute others. And here I'm sorry. The “plague on both your plagues” position works when people are on equal terms. And when some are armed exclusively with the law, while others have batons, riot police, bailiffs, courts, and so on... then these others are not at all the same idiots. They are idiots with great repressive capabilities. And you don’t need to tell me that there are people everywhere who think this way and that way. Those who think this way should either sit quietly or get the hell out of here, even if they have to cross the border illegally. But for those who think this way, we have the road everywhere.

My “Peter” admits that he is simply disappointed in the “liberal idiots.” He says, I donated to rallies and to political prisoners. And now that's it, that's enough. Question. Did political prisoners cease to be such because my Peter was disappointed in them? Have rallies held against the wishes of the authorities become different? No, they didn't. A person is disappointed, well, he has a right. But this should not lead to the understanding that they are knitting without the law - and rightly so. Because, by waving his hand towards those who are being knitted, with the text “you are all the same,” the author of this text volens-nolens takes someone’s side. Do you like the actions of your government? No, he says, not all. Why are you quiet? And I'm disappointed. So let him continue? But what about the justice you appeal to by calling both sides idiots?

Or here’s another cute story... A fake story, most likely, about the director of an enterprise who, due to the worsening economic situation, is thinking about who to fire. And he finds a reason for himself. Allegedly, the director allegedly finds it. “I walked through the parking lot and saw cars with St. George ribbons... The owners probably fully supported all the actions that led, in particular, to a deterioration in the economic situation. Well, I’ll fire them”... And people begin to be indignant. For what, they say?

Let's assume that all the employees of this mythical enterprise are absolute geniuses in their field. Because if we were talking about people of different talents and different efficiency, the director would not have such a dilemma. How to find those who are about to be fired? Yes, according to universal human criteria. Fair? No, I don't argue. Offer another way out. They tell me right away: yeah, so you shouldn’t be surprised that another director will fire the white ribbon bearers from work, finding another logical explanation for this. Absolutely not worth it, you are right. Because this has already happened several times. On a much larger scale.

And here’s a wonderful comment: they say they fired him because people rejoiced at the victory over Germany. Craftiness. In recent years, the St. George's ribbon has acquired the character of total support for the current government, rather than a symbol of victory. The St. George's ribbon is an indulgence for everything, given to the authorities by a citizen in a situation where war veterans in their own country are the same powerless citizens as everyone else, including the author of the crafty comment. A symbol sometimes ceases to be a symbol, but becomes a kind of “message”. It is important not to miss this moment.

Several years ago, the late Natalya Gorbanevskaya, a believer, during Lent found herself with a young fan of hers, also a believer, at a party where the table was absolutely frugal: “But how to eat this?” - asked her young fan. “The main thing is not to eat people,” Natasha answered. So, in the case of ribbons, people are already getting ready - look at the packages of recent laws. And those who call for justice in relation to both sides of the confrontation, for some reason do not want to understand this. From disappointment in the opposition, probably.

You want justice, but do nothing to ensure that this justice is for everyone. It is much easier to blame for its absence those who will face the already mentioned paddy wagons, courts and sentences for defending it...


Photo: Russia. Moscow. December 4, 2015. Mayor of Petrozavodsk Galina Shirshina at the 2015 RBC Award ceremony at the Four Seasons Hotel. Valery Sharifulin/TASS