The power and its competence
Grigory Pasko, journalist
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There's a strange organization in Russia. It's called the «Public chamber». In the image of this strange organization, the Putinite power has created for itself the likeness of representatives of civil society: the benefit from this likeness is nil, but then, should the occasion present itself, one can always tell Western leaders that in Russia too there is democracy.
And the members of this strange organization, at least the greater part of them, are rather strange as well - few people in the country have ever heard of them. But, apparently, they were able in some way to catch the eye of the curator of this «chamber from the Kremlin», advisor to Putin himself and «gray cardinal Vladislav Surkov».
It goes without saying that there are some people in there who are in full possession of their faculties and even famous. Somewhat cowardly, of course, but professionals in their respective fields. For example, the journalist Nikolai Svanidze. A good journalist. But, the main thing for the current power - thoroughly loyal. He was even the first to write a book about Medvedev. A thoroughly loyal book.
Like any other pro-Putin formation, the public chamber has got its very own publication. It's called «The magazine «Civic dialogue» (upper image), on the cover of which is indicated: «A magazine of civic self-rearing». The authors of the majority of the articles in the magazine - members of the public chamber.
Generalist phrases, generalist discourses, zero criticism of the
current power - this is all understandable. The only thing not
understandable is why the authors put their incompetence out there for
all to see.
Here's an example. The editorial staff of the magazine (№3, of the year 2008) writes: «Not having found on a single official website of structures of state data for the years 2006-2007 on the quantity of invalids in Russia, the editorial staff of «CD» turned for information to deputy of the State Duma of the RF, chairman of the All-Russian society of invalids Alexander Lomakin-Rumyantsev.
The fact that in Russia there are no official, as well as TRUTHFUL data with respect to the quantity of invalids, alcoholics, persons with AIDS, unemployed, persons with cancer, employees of the FSB and indeed of any of the siloviki structures, bureaucrats, prisoners, street children, missing persons, the mentally ill and so on and so forth - this hasn't surprised me for a long time already: the country is run by KGB men, and the country therefore is nearly all classified.
What does surprise me is the incompetence of the persons standing at those posts that assume competence at least in one, narrow, question.
Here's how Lomakin-Rumyantsev, the main defender of the rights of invalids in Russia, replied: «In Russia today there are 13-14 million invalids. Of them, according to official data, are approximately 600 thousand children, although experts assert that there are nearly three times as many of them».
Did you understand that answer? I, for one, did not. So how many invalids are there in Russia: 13 million or 14 million? Is it really that hard to notice and count a million invalids - a million living people!?? And who is supposed to count, if not Lomakin-Rumyantsev himself, since by the long arm of coincidence he's become the chairman of the society of invalids?
And how can you not count at least the child-invalids? And how many of them - 600 thousand, as state statistics brazenly lie, or three times as many after all, as those mysterious experts not named by Lomakin-Rumyantsiev assert?
Further on, this chairman says: «With a deficit of labor power, from 5 to 7 million invalids are found in working age and could work...» That is, once again we see the blatant incompetence not simply of an official, but of a deputy to the State Duma.
From that same issue of the magazine you can find out about how the Putinite conception of the development of Russia to the year 2020 was discussed. In this conception, in part, is spoken about the creation of a huge quantity of new sectors of the economy in the period to the year 2020. One of the members of the public chamber, on the whole accepting the postulates of the conception, asks the question: «In our country in the year 2007 there are 22 million persons in age from 18 to 27 years, while in the year 2020 of such will remain 14 million». The question of the member of the chamber - so who is going to work in the new sectors of the economy? - remains hanging in the air. The member of the chamber does not find an answer.
I'll try to answer for Lomakin-Rumyantsev and for the young member of the chamber. The fact is that the current power isn't interested one iota in the real state of affairs in the country. The power couldn't care less how many of those invalids are out there: 13 or 14 million; how many of them there are capable of working... A million more, two million less - it makes no difference. So long as today, right now, this minute, they, all those faceless millions, are pumping oil and gas and aiding and abetting the sale thereof to the West, the East, and the South. So long as these millions aren't demanding political rights and liberties, so long as they stupidly, when they're ordered to do so, go, like lambs to slaughter, to the electoral urns and stupidly vote for this incompetent-in-every-way power.
Really, the only reason the power surrounds itself with such incompetent Lomakins is because they're useful to it. The Lomakins, after all, don't demand from the power that it re-count all the invalids, and all the more so - provide them with all the conditions for a normal life. And those who wrote for Putin the conception «2020» also didn't delve into the accuracy of their calculations with respect to the quantity of people in the country for the perspective. They don't need this.
What the need - for there to be oil and gas in the bowels of the earth. At the very least, until it's possible to provide oneself, one's friends, kin and close ones, children and grandchildren with incomes from the sales thereof. Now their quantity the power knows precisely and won't put to shame. All the more so given that this whole army of the privileged lives predominantly beyond the confines of Russia. Farther away from the invalids and members of the public chamber.
* Lomakin-Rumyantsev, Alexander Vadimovich, year of birth 1954.
By education - film camera operator-journalist.
In the year 1980 became an invalid of the 1 group in a wheelchair.
Since November of the year 1991 until the present time heads the
All-Russian society of invalids.
During the time of work in the ARSI concurrently was a member of the
collegium of the Ministry of social provision of the RSFSR, deputy
chairman of the Council for the affairs of invalids attached to the
President of the Russian Federation.
Member of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation.
Awarded with the order of Distinction, the medal "In memory of the
850th anniversary of the city of Moscow", the Distinction certificate
of the Government of the Russian Federation.
Is a member of the faction «A Just Russia» in the State Duma of the V convocation, member of the Committee of the SD for labor and social policy.
