I recently wrote an article in which I attempted to systematize all the different kinds of «enemies of the people» that exist in modern-day Russia. Just two weeks later, it turned out that the list is outdated - yet another category of people needs to be added to it: journalists who in their articles write about the economic crisis in Russia and the causes that have produced it.
Poster from the times of the USSR. The text (in fine print) on the poster: «American number - minus 22 percent bears witness to the economic crisis that has already begun in the United States and together with this to the crisis that is growing in all capitalist countries. The Soviet number - plus 20 percent speaks of the further mighty rise of Soviet industry». The evil capitalist is holding a paper entitled "war plans" and has a lightning bold forming the word "Crisis" over his head. The main slogan (in large print) says "Same years, different «weather»".
The Procuracy-General of the RF has already issued an instruction to regional procurators "to counteract the inflaming of financial crisis» and «facts of informational attacks on banks". After this began mass procuratorial checks of the mass information media. That is, the procuracy, as has already happened not once in the history of Russia, literally interpreted the words of the chief executive of the country (in the given situation president D. Medvedev), who had expressed concern over a possible "destabilization of the social situation" in connection with "financial difficulties".
In Sverdlovsk Oblast, the first to find itself within the procuracy's crosshairs was the information agency URA.ru, covering the problems of the banking sector in the region brought about by the financial crisis. They called editor-in-chief of the publication A. Panova down to the procuracy "for a chat" to an investigator. "They asked me questions about how the editorial staff obtains information about the situation in the banks. As a result, I told the procurator for around an hour about the financial state of enterprises in the oblast",-- declared Ms. Panova after this pleasant chat.
"We are not implementing censorship,-- they clarified in the press service of the Procuracy-General.-- We are checking the accuracy of information». We will note that the Procuracy-General did not have such a duty before.
State Duma deputy and initiator of aborted amendments toughening the law "On the Mass Information Media" Robert Schlegel considers that headlines such as "Russia is losing value" or rumors about the devaluation of the ruble could provoke serious consequences. "Therefore, if the procuracy will have suspicions and evidence that the mass information media is publishing for-hire material, criminal cases need to be initiated",-- declared he.
"The siloviki structures, as usual, literally interpret what is said to them from above,-- considers head of the Glasnost Defense Foundation Alexei Simonov.-- This is like in the case with extremism, by which is now understood any sharp disagreement with the leadership. And now the leadership is saying that we don't have a financial crisis, there are only crisis phenomena. And in this lies great danger for the mass information media, especially business publications".
Witch hunts, as is known, don't have any boundaries. Under the
slogan of struggle with economic extremists it is perfectly possible
that they could also shut down those publications which, analyzing the
crisis phenomena, wittingly or unwittingly criticize the current power.
But this power very much dislikes - and/or fears criticism to its
address.
It is noteworthy that into the crosshairs of the procuracies and the
FSB have fallen not only mass information media, but even ordinary
advertising flyers. The Soviet District Court of Vladivostok recently
ruled flyers discovered in the entranceways to residential buildings to
be extremist material. The flyers had the headline «Appeal call». The
content of the flyers is being concealed, but one can suppose that the
unaware Far-Easterners had written come kind of call to residents,
expressing dissatisfaction with the powers. The headline, to my view,
is stupid. But for the local chekists, obviously, a conspiracy and
attempts by the population to overthrow the power looms everywhere. Be
that as it may, but the investigative division of the UFSB for
Primorsky Kray at first initiated a criminal case (public calls for the
implementation of extremist activity), while the court issued a
decision under which these flyers were found to be extremist material.
Now they're looking for the authors of the flyers. When the find them -
they'll lock the people up in jail.
If things keep on going this way, then soon in Russia will begin to be distributed circulars of the procuracy and the FSB about «blacklists of enemies of the people», who are impeding the competent and elected-by-all-the-people power in courageously and wisely overcoming the consequences of the financial and economic crisis, which was foisted on us by the abominable capitalists from the USA.
