Mike Sylwester,

On the other thread you facilely explained that Volodya took Russians’ right to elect their provincial governors to fight “corruption.”

That sounds quite odd to me. How does appointing officials from a corrupt center prevent corruption?

Opacity is the natural habitat of corruption. Forcing officials to face competitive elections is like using a mild antibiotic – it doesn’t prevent corruption, but it certainly does require that corrupt officials be more cautious.
The best way to combat corruption is an independent justice system. Oh, yes, another of Volodya’s wonderful legacies – intimidating judges into making politically convenient judgements.

I concentrate on this gem of Volodya’s statecraft because it is so debilitating to the development of democracy in Russia.
Where are democratic leaders to develop their skills and bring themselves to the nation’s attention if not through serving as provincial governors? (They may not have taught you this, but the majority of US presidents were previously governors of states.)
How are these appointed governors expected to honestly govern their areas if there is no responsibility to the residents?
In the US, there is a national agreement to store nuclear waste in a location in the state of Nevada. The governor of Nevada obeys the will of his people who do not want nuclear waste in their state. President Bush cannot order the governor to do anything, his boss is the people of Nevada.
To the Russian mind this may seem crazy or inefficient. It might seem like bardak. We Americans know that this is our greatest strength.

The Russian people have made the stupidest of mistakes. Despairing of the silliness and dishonesty of politicians, they have put themselves into the hand of a politician like a little hypnotized bird.