Pussy Riot and Russia's corrupt creative intelligentsia

The Pussy Riot trial, conviction and sentence has captured the world's attention, though the vast majority of Russians have little or any sympathy for what this so-called punk band did in one of Russia's most revered places of worship. But what Russians think or feel has never been part of Pussy Riot's (Voina) agenda. Pussy Riot, their handlers, and a growing number of what is called Russia's "creative intelligentsia" have a very different program ­ and it has been attempted and failed before in Russian history.

When it comes to politics, the creative intelligentsia has a sad history of failure, arrogance, and irresponsibility. When it comes to winning power, these same people say they are interested in democracy, but they know they cannot win elections ­ their priorities do not match the interests of the majority of voters. This is where Pussy Riot comes in.

Because the creative intelligentsia is essentially lazy and basically in contempt of the average Russian, this small minority turns to short cuts, shock and awe, and eventually to the West begging it to "save Russians from themselves" ­ let's call them "Bolshevik Punks."

This is a program that attempts to negate the currently political establishment and convince the world that today's Russia is somehow morally illegitimate. All the while, one poll after another in Russia demonstrates that the creative intelligentsia is out of step with what Russians claim to be their self-identity and the kind of country they wish to live in. Insults and vulgarity can hardly create a better society - appealing to the better parts of our nature and winning hearts and minds can.

 

Russia Today