Russkiivopros
No-2011/1
Author: Pavel Vitek

TEMPORARY MEMORY LOSS OR DOUBLE STANDARD?

       There is no doubt that regime of Alyaksandr Lukashenka is awful and it is impossible to beat or jail people for their opinion and desire to live in free society. Also, there is no doubt the democratic world should do all it can to help remove such a regime. Also, no doubt all kinds of measures against dictatorship are permissible. Given all that, however, the idea of EP President Jerzy Buzek to suspend the 2014 Ice Hockey Championship in Belarus looks rather strange considering it in the context of Belarus´s Big brother Russia.

       Again and again the question comes in mind: in which way is Putin´s regime in Russia, where  the 2014 Olympic games  and 2016 Ice Hockey Championship are to take place, better than Lukashenka´s one. In Putin´s Russia oppositionists are regularly beaten at the end of each month,  the Khodorkovski case is also notoriously known and, even more, it is possible to register a string of murders which can be considered political. The Olympic games in Sochi will take place near Georgia which experienced Russian aggression.

       Yes, the parliamentary and presidential elections are held in regular terms in Russia, Putin did not prolong his term, although, he could have done it. But are these elections really fair? It is more important who gets nominated to become President than the actual result of the elections. In other words, elections are only a confirmation of the decision made by the few.

       This illustration of some “results” of Putin´s reign has never provoked even a serious discussion about sanctions against Russia. And again a question: why are we so decisive in the case of Belarus but why in the case of Russia the only signal of dissatisfaction  we send is cancellation of  the invitation of the Russian ambassador for breakfast with NATO ambassadors.

       It would be offensive to explain reasons to our readers. They are too visible and understandable. Simply said: Quod licet Iovi non licet bovi.

       If we are “forced” to keep such double standards let´s not do it in such a ridiculous way and let´s wait for the economy to solve the problems with Lukashenka for us. In the case of Putin we will not be so lucky...