Our Affiliates
 
 
RFE/RL Radio
 
 
 

RFE/RL Iran Coverage Cited Around the World 

RFE/RL's coverage of the post-election crisis in Iran has been cited by a variety of media outlets around the world. More
 
 
More Articles
 
 
 
 
 

The Power Vertical

The Ideologist, The Crisis, And The West

Vladislav Surkov

November 30, 2008
The Kremlin's chief ideologist is worried about threats to Russia's middle class.

In a speech on Friday, Vladislav Surkov, the first deputy Kremlin chief of staff said those threats are coming primarily from -- you guessed it -- the West:

"If the 1980s were the times of the intellectuals and the 1990s were the times of the oligarchs then the 00s can be seen as the epoch of the middle classes. The main task of the state during the slump must become the preservation of the middle class, the defense of the middle class from the waves of poverty and confusion that are coming from the West."

As Robert Amsterdam recently noted on his blog, Surkov often sets the tone for the Kremlin propaganda machine.

The ruling elite in Moscow is visibly nervous about falling oil prices and a deepening financial crisis. The meme of Russia's nascent bourgeois having their middle class dreams dashed by the West's financial malfeasance is convenient for a couple of reasons. It lets the Russian elite off the hook for their own mismanagement and for failing to diversify an economy dangerously dependent on high energy prices. And it adds a new melody to the regime's ever-present  xenophobic mood music at time when the Kremlin appears to be preparing the ground for Vladimir Putin's return to the presidency.

So we can probably expect to see more of this in the weeks and months ahead.

-- Brian Whitmore
 
 
Would you like to post to this forum?
Name *
Location
E-mail
Comment *
Disclaimer
Reader comments in no way reflect the views or opinions of RFE/RL correspondents, contributors, or staff.
Before you post a comment, please read the forum rules
 
Are you human? Please enter the numbers below:
 
  Send  
 
 
 
Comments 1-2 (of 2)
by: VytautasBa from: Vilnius
December 04, 2008 06:13
So what should the policy of the west be in response to russia's turning away from democracy and traditional western values? It is sad to think that since 1999 Russia was allowed to go down this destructive path without much reaction (especially a coordinated reaction) from the west. Are we headed for a confrontation in the future with Russia or will some way be found to return to policies based not on fear but on reason?
by: Will Wilson from: Seattle
December 03, 2008 15:06
Vladislav Surkov is right. This American clearly sees that. Why should Russia go down the tubes just because our "leaders" i.e. bunglers and incompetent greedheads-are screwing things up as fast as they can for the rest of the world
Comments 1-2 (of 2)
TEXT SIZE
About This Blog
The Power Vertical is a blog written especially for Russia wonks and obsessive Kremlin watchers by RFE/RL staffers Brian Whitmore and Robert Coalson. It covers emerging and developing trends in Russian politics, shining a spotlight on the high-stakes power struggles, machinations, and clashing interests that shape Kremlin policy today. Follow their latest posts on Twitter at @PowerVertical.

Brian Whitmore
Brian Whitmore
Robert Coalson
Robert Coalson
 
 
 
 
 
 

Products and services: