Good morning,
Russia
The elections for parliament (DUMA) are this weekend in Russia and it’s a still born democracy by any measure. Voters have been discouraged from turning out, opposition leaders have been jailed, many journalists arrested, and it’s a moment of severe oppression and suppression of freedom in Putin’s Russia.
Many polls show people are tired of Putin who came to power in 2000, but the alternatives are few, and the opposition has been hard pressed to field candidates as they were prevented from registering or speaking out on state controlled media. There are many well educated great potential leaders in Russia but who would dare voice a desire to hold political office in such an atmosphere? Tragic really in Putins 21 years as President the nation has lost precious hope and huge potential.
Jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s party has tried to bring in so called ‘smart voting’ announcing at the last minute which candidates in key areas voter can support to oust United Russia, the party supported by the Kremlin. But now the seurity services have demanded Google and Apple remove Navalny’s voting app.
Putin himself is self isolating after many of his inner circle tested positive for Covid. It’s low drama because the elections are fixed, so Russia is doomed to more stagnation, creeping desperation and a slow burn of emerging anger by youth who see no future. Rather than a moment of change the election signals just more of the same which many Russians I know characterize as a dead end under a leader who won’t step down and a Kremlin that fears change because it threatens the accumulated illegal wealth of many in power.
Here’s whats interesting; Putin is said to be isolating more and more in the pandemic, but some of my sources believe he is being politically isolated by the Kremlins inner circle, which see’s him less and less as someone who can run the country. In other words he is being sidelined by the Siloviki or strong men, who are running the country largely without him. His dozens of daily meetings he once held, have shrunk to a handful of controlled encounters and he is slipping from power, slowly becoming a figure head.
The alternatives to Putin may be more dangerous and Russia, just as it seems stuck in Putins shadow, may be emerging and entering a new and more dangerous period. Dangerous for its own people, and more dangerous to The West.
The DUMA elections are a farce, and the more the Kremlin tries to suppress change, the more rapidly it seems to be occurring, because now there is a the real chance of a split in this inner circle as it reduces Putins influence, and jockeys for profit and power above all else.
Back Story Podcast
Rather than one topic this week on Back Story were trying to mix in a few different items, so tell us what you think.
On this Back Story Dana Lewis talks to former Canadian Ambassador to Afghanistan Chris Alexander, who is demanding the International Community treat Pakistan as an invasion force.
And alarm bells are ringing in a new report on Global Warming. We discuss alarming predictions of disappearing crops and climate change disasters, with UCL's Prof. Ilan Kelman.
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1016881/9205770
Australia and Submarine Politics
A 40 billion dollar deal to build a fleet of submarines in Australia, went poof for France this week when Australia announced it would instead switch away from conventional to nuclear powered subs with technology supplied by the U.S. and Britain.
The French say they were “stabbed in the back” while the Australian P.M. says he warned France in June this could happen.
Vaccines
As we in the UK debate whether to give our 12 to 15 yr olds vaccines, here is Cambodia giving vaccines to 6 yr olds and in Cuba they are vaccinating 2 yr olds.
I am completely in shock listening to someone I know discuss vaccines, presenting conspiracy theories about ‘big pharma’ and how I have missed my journalistic mark by not pushing horse dewormer as a “real cure”. If you think Joe Rogan was cured think again and read what he actually took and the fact there was no study on what cured him. It was a cocktail of several things and probably none of them was a magic bullet because he would have recovered anyway.
Another person tells me his wife can barely breathe after getting Covid in Florida, and now he will rethink his decision not to get the vaccine, admitting his Pastor advised his wife not to get vaccinated.
What on earth are people reading? Take your head out of right wing fringe disinformation conspiracy channels and websites. I advise you in dangerous times, steady up and have a concentrated diet of main stream media from journalists trained on ethics and balance, and editorial boards long established as reliable media.
On vaccines read a variety of medical experts, and respected authorities to hear all view points. There is access to so many solid virologists and epidemiologists, that you don’t need to take in conspiracy theorists who will lead you away from solid decision making about your health.
Keep your oars in the water!
Have a good weekend everyone.
Dana
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2021/sep/17/coronavirus-live-news-austria-to-hear-first-lawsuit-over-resort-outbreak-africa-vaccine-shortfall-raises-risk-of-deadly-variants-who-warns
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2021/09/17/russia-votes-2-a75070
https://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20210917-australian-pm-says-he-warned-france-that-submarine-deal-could-be-scrapped
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/16/world/europe/france-australia-uk-us-submarines.html