Book: Lonely power

The Russian elite can boast of another achievement - the ability to mimic Western institutions. In Russia there are all the institutions that form the basis of Western democracy. But they function as a cover of personified power. Russian leaders are actively using liberal rhetoric, and in the Russian government there are still people who are known as liberals. And all of this complicates not only the development of real democracy in Russia, but liberal criticism of the Russian system. Moreover, the existence of a sham Parliament, multi-party, organizations that use a liberal slogans, in the eyes of public opinion discreditied liberal democracy, generating among the people of the attraction to the net model of authoritarianism. "Why do we have all these servile deputies! - talking to other citizens. - Let's better ruled one".

... Moscow was right, translating relationships with neighbours and consumers of Russian energy resources on a market basis. But the nature of the transition to market prices and the very definition of "market price", which depends on consumers ' loyalty to Moscow, testifies to transformation of energy resources into a political tool, which can not distort market principles.

One can only sympathize with those who are forced to explain and legitimize the Russian system and try to imagine her stagnation as a movement, its convulsive throws in different directions - as a strategy, the aspirations of the ruling class - both national and state interests, and his lack of principles as a new form of the ideology of pragmatism. Sorry, very sorry...especially when talented people are forced to spend their energies and their lives to convince the world that what they could hardly believe themselves.

For Western leaders a constructive relationship with Putin was more important than what Putin did in Russia.