Chess Grandmaster Kasparov Versus President Putin 416
An anonymous reader writes "The Times of London has an article on how Garry Kasparov, former world chess champion, is using his fame and intellect in an attempt to defeat President Putin at the presidential elections in March 2008. Kasparov believes that Putin is virtually a dictator who is dismantling democracy and returning Russia to an authoritarian regime. Some high-profile Putin critics, such as Alexander Litvinenko, have been the victims of unsolved murders, and Kasparov is aware of the dangers: 'I can calculate the possibilities as a chess player and I have to be honest and say that our chances are not high. But I take this as a moral duty, and when you do something out of moral duty, then who cares?'" From the article: "[Kasparov] will not be a contender for the presidency but [his political umbrella group] The Other Russia aims to create the conditions under which an anti-Putin candidate can win. It appears, however, to be an uneven contest against a man who enjoys 80 per cent approval ratings. Most Russians want Mr. Putin to overturn a constitutional bar on a third term in office. Many will back whomever Mr. Putin endorses to succeed him."
Hmmmm (Score:5, Insightful)
Ever since I read Bill Gates was a rather good Go player, it explained a lot to me about his business strategy.
A brilliant chess player like Mr Kasparov should not only be able to calculate the odds, but also devise some ways to alter them.
If he's really getting ready to battle Putin, he really should apply his best tactics to politics.
Which he might do, too.
Let's see what happens...
Actually... (Score:5, Insightful)
There is a great controversy over this man [wikipedia.org] whom Putin may have personally had murdered. Or it could be someone framing Putin. Or it could be Putin making it look as though he was framed. Russia is a grim place. I don't expect Kasparov to live much longer...whether those "approval ratings" are truly 80% or more like (1/80)%, either Putin has the power to make it look as though he has the people's support, or he does have the people's support, obviously making him powerful.
Re:Hmmmm (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:80% approval rating? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Hmmmm (Score:2, Insightful)
Of course not.
However, I do believe he knows his strategy... in this kind of games, without strategy, you're nothing.
I should know; I play rarely, have no strategy whatsoever and suck colossally.
So no, he won't be able to calculate the odds of a single political statement or whatever, but he should be able to plan an interesting strategy... although what should be the real life equivalent of sacrificing chess pieces, I really don't want to know.
Re:"news relevant to United States politics" (Score:5, Insightful)
How does this not effect our foreign policy and our politics?
Too bad Solzhenitsyn is so old (Score:3, Insightful)
The man who put his life on the line to tell the truth about the evil's of communism is one of the great intellectual heroes of our day, as well someone of absolute integrity and moral authority. Alas, he is also 88 years old, and it's hard to conceive of him undertaking the rigors of a political campaign, or even the office of President, at that age. but one can dream...
Re:Actually... (Score:1, Insightful)
Re:Too bad Solzhenitsyn is so old (Score:1, Insightful)
Re:Actually... (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Putin does not respect the rules of the game. (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Kerry vs. Bush (Score:3, Insightful)
Ryan Fenton
Re:Actually... (Score:3, Insightful)
Because he doesn't need to kill his enemies. They pose him no threat, politically. Nothing they can say or do is going to remove popular support or his power.
His enemies were not effective alive. However, the means of their death throws suspicion on Putin. They are more effective dead.
Now do you get it?
Re:Russian democracy (Score:3, Insightful)
That's a Putin Lie (Score:3, Insightful)
It comes from the "Yuri Levada Analytical Centre",. Yuri Levada died November 16th this year (heart attack), but his organization has had repeated attempts at take over by the Kremlin, including trying to replace the board in 2003, that didn't like his polls showing Russians critical of Putin. Without Yuri, information put out in his name is likely tainted by the Kremlin. The poll was done just before Yuri's death, and the results released just after his death. So it's tainted.
http://www.russiavotes.org/levada-times-obituary.
"With the Kremlin's strategy of buying off the opposition, crushing dissenters and marginalising anyone who continued to speak up in a flattened political landscape, Levada's polls provided an awkward reminder of realities that Putin could not stomach, such as widespread popular opposition to the wars in Chechnya. The Kremlin preferred spin and polls that it manipulated. In a cunning move typical of current Kremlin tactics, the government ministry that had suddenly discovered it still owned VTsIOM turned it into a joint-stock company in September 2003 and appointed a new board of directors, who happened to be Kremlin loyalists. The Government claimed it wanted to make the agency's finances more transparent, but Levada and his colleagues knew the truth."
If Putin was really popular he wouldn't have to take control of the media, polling services and all major TV stations. It means that he isn't popular and is doing the KGB kill, lie and deny approach.
If you read the Moscow press, he's trying to create a false sense that everyone wants him to run a third term.
Re:Actually... (Score:5, Insightful)
The problem is that in stabilizing Russia Putin also gobbled up all the power he could find and has set Russia on course to look more like Russia of old then Europe of the US. Hell, Putin calls the Russian style of government "managed democracy". Putin has pooled all of the power of the state into his own hands. Russia suspended elections for governors and now simply appoints them with an old skool nod to the USSR. Russian TV is now almost entirely state and blatantly used for propaganda, making campaigning against Putin and his allies all but impossible. The government, while not throwing people in Siberian slave labor camps Stalin style, happily detain activists by the thousands before any attempt to hold a protest.
Russia hasn't caught up with their old Soviet ways yet but they are headed that way. Russia still maintains a relatively free printed press, and Putin has so far refrained from writing himself as dictator into the constitution. That said, the direction Russia is headed isn't pretty, and I really doubt that Putin is going to appoint a successor who is going to be a champion of liberalization and democracy.
Re:Actually... (Score:5, Insightful)
I would strongly suggest you to reconsider this statement. Just because you are an autocrat and govern for the benefit of a restricted circle of oligarchs, it does not mean the people will not like you. The bulk of the people can be made incredibly stupid when you control enough of the media.
The classical instrument to make the people love you even when you are actually screwing them is finding a scapegoat: Hitler had Jews, but he certainly did not invent the tactic, nor anti-semitism itself (he was instead special in that he actually believed that crap). It runs all the way back to the Romans (who blamed, say, Christians) and beyond. It has to be a small minority without an actual capability to politically fight back, yet recognizable enough. Putin has Chechen rebels, Ahmadinejad has Americans and Israel, Bush has terrorists, Berlusconi has Communists, Le Pen has immigrants.
Re:melodrama (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Actually... (Score:5, Insightful)
He plays ball. He plays hardball. He plays dirty. He's the reason post-Soviet Russia is no longer getting raped by foreign capitalists.
At this rate, history will probably remember him as the most effective Russian leader since Catherine the Great. From the perspective of a Russian citizen, the Soviets sucked, the Soviet collapse was worse, but now we're getting the best of both worlds and it's still improving. Putin can do whatever he wants if he keeps this track going.
Re:Actually... (Score:5, Insightful)
My wife has been to St. Petersburg on business, and the first-hand experience didn't sound like one she'd care to repeat. One colleague carrying an El Salvadorean passport, for example, had to be fished out of customs with bribes.
Russia is a mafia state. Get over it. Socialism models the human spirit poorly, hence its historically mixed results.
Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Actually... (Score:5, Insightful)
As far as your ranting about socialism... when in the hell did I even mention socialism? What exactly are you arguing against? I spoke only of democracy. If Russia wanted to implement European styled socialism, good for them. Plenty of European nations have managed to be both socialistic and democratic to greater and lesser degrees without becoming a (in Putin's own doublespeak words) "managed democracy". Contrary to the popular beliefs of some socialist heroes, you can have both socialism AND democracy. It is okay to let the people vote and conduct politics in the open without developing a totalitarian dictatorship built around a cult of personality.
Stop defending these assholes because they speak pretty words that fall in line with your politics. A dictator is a dictator, regardless if he hides behind divine right, military power, fascist ideals, capitalist ideals, or even socialist ideals.
Re:Actually... (Score:4, Insightful)
Seriously, you think the same American people who just handed power to the democrats would stand for anything of the sort? I think you should consider expanding your list of reading/viewing choices, it might bring you a few steps toward reality.
I will say this much though: If Bush & Co. do manage some sort of martial law take over, it's all the friggin gun control nuts to thank for making it impossible for us to fight back. That IS exactly the situation the founding fathers had in mind when they put in the second ammendment.
Re:Actually... (Score:5, Insightful)
Consider this scenario:
Litko is a foreman of Ajax Chemical's main factory. When ABC Chem got embroiled in a legal scandal, Litko used the ensuing confusion and lack of supervision to sell off parts of ABC Chem's factories. He also used ABC Chem's property as collateral for loans with banking institutions, made sales deals with clients for ABC Chem products and then kept the profits. Litko also invested ABC Chems money and kept them for himself.
After four years, ABC Chem was finally was able to shake off the legal scandal and moved towards controlling its factories again. They soon found out that Litko is now a multi-billionaire and that he already owns most of the erstwhile property of ABC Chem.
ABC Chem decided to retrieve the wealth that they believe ABC Chem is legally and morally entitled to. Unfortunately, because Litko is now an oligarch, Litko is able to hire the best lawyers and is able to fend off the legal barrage for as long as possible while he makes his escape to London. In London, he settles comfortably and uses his new-found wealth to buy a football club.
In all definitions of the term, Litko is a criminal.
From the article:
Mr. Kasparov, the grandmaster, should ask himself exactly where did Mr. Berezovsky and Mr. Russian Owner of the Chelsea Football Club get their money to become stupendously wealthy in such a short time.
Unlike Mr. Kasparov, the majority of Russians (those 80% that support Putin) are aware that Berezovsky and his ilk are the Litkos who raped Russia of its natural wealth during the confusion of the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Mr. Kasparov does not have to look very far in search of where Russia's wealth went. He need only stare in the direction of his financial backers.
Re:80% approval rating? (Score:3, Insightful)
Realistically speaking - the potential/existing impact of the USA on other countries is far greater than that of Russia. And as time goes by it the potential for negative impact seems to be increasing to uncomfortable levels.
So the potential for US elections to be diebolded concerns me. The bulk of the citizens not being bothered about that concerns me even more.
The Putin 80% popularity poll might be even more credible than the US elections.
Re:Too bad Solzhenitsyn is so old (Score:3, Insightful)
The conferences turned out to be a laughable affair, real dyed-in-the-wool fundamentalist rubbish, focusing on the unpardonable sins of women's rights, gay rights, and so on. They even went so far as to have a couple of talks focusing on the evidence that rock 'n' roll is satanic. These were the only talks that were jam-packed, although not enough to compensate for the weak turnout during the remainder of the convention. Deemed a financial bust, the convention was not even attempted the following year.
My point is that I'll always have those humongous banners of Solzhenitsyn tatooed in my mind, backing up the agenda of right-wing nutjobs. Maybe Solzhenitsyn was duped into throwing his weight behind this fiasco, without fully knowing what it was. Also, the fact that this college was rabidly anti-communist could have made him turn a blind eye to other shenanigans, as in the enemy of my enemy is my friend. But my image of the man remains tarnished until proven otherwise.
BTW, Solzhenitsyn wasn't even there, except in silkscreens looming like a smiling Big Brother.
Re:Actually... (Score:5, Insightful)
Now Putin, with his near-80% approval rating (stop and think about this number for a moment), can probably chose his Labrador named Koni as the next presidential candidate, and Russians will vote for the dog. Why? Russians want stability. They are tired of revolutions, wars, and Perestroikas. Now they want a decent paycheck, a car, and a house. Don't misunderstand me, Russians have nothing against democracy, freedom of speech, and human rights. However, history taught them to be a bit more cynical and pragmatic than some of their Western neighbors.
"Give me liberty or give me death," said Patrick Henry. It just so happened that every time Russians adopted this approach, they got the shitty end of the stick. I can't blame them for playing it safe now. Today's Russia is a huge improvement over the bloody chaos of Gorbachev's and Yeltsin's era. Things in Russia will improve over time. And, since we are talking about Russia, it may take awhile. For everyone's benefit, Washington and London should keep their dirty snouts out of Russia's business and be happy with the gas and oil they are getting.
Re:Slippery slope (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Hmmmm (Score:4, Insightful)
In fact, I suspect that Kasparov's incredible skill at chess would actually hamper his abilities in politics - his mental reflexes were trained for much of his life to focus on ways to think in terms of a fixed set of rules, while politicians tend to make up new rules as it suits them and they are VERY good at that. So Kasparov might fail at having to deal with such an incredibly unpredictable environment, while politicians often fail at grasping the concept that maybe some rules ought to apply to them.
I'd say the comparison that was made of technical skill != social skill is a very very good one. Many of the attributes necessary for real mastery technical material seem to be in opposition to attributes necessary for real mastery of social environments.
Re:Actually... (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Actually... (Score:3, Insightful)
Really? Even with AK47's, MG-3s, SAWs, full auto M16 in the hands of the people, can you really take on a military with tanks, helicopters, and B52 bombers at their disposal.
For the citizenry to defeat its own military it would need RPGs, Surface to Air missiles, military explosives and various other weaponry to defeat a well armed military.
Keep in mind that even the Iraq insurgents have access to military grade weapons left around after the war and certain militia groups get weapons from Iran. Most of the IED's aren't something you could make in the states with off the shelf materials and often are old military ordinances like 150mm artillery shells.
Unless you are advocating military armament of private individuals with comparable weapons, the 2nd amendment is a moot point.
However, I would agree that states should be allowed to own militia armies that are not in control of the federal government.
Either way the only hope for the US to avoid a dictatorship if one is created is the military would refuse to fight its own people or fight against the dictatorship itself.