A Direct Line with Orthodoxy, Leadership and Nationalism
Are individual, overlapping and aligned parallel objectives possible?
[Image is Public Domain obtained here].
The transcript of the Direct Line event during which President Putin takes calls from Russian citizens, published by the Kremlin, is about 21 000 words and is not yet complete. There are many, many interesting aspects to it. A reactionary comment may be "its all planned", but if you read it there are all the hallmarks of talk-back radio and telethons, with all of the interaction between President Putin and the coordinators, and loss of communications with people calling in. It has reality written all over it.
The vast majority of the event is regular citizens expressing various grievances against regional authorities. Some topics are general, in which Putin provides a high level perspective, usually on economic matters, with statistics and current or planned national responses to the issues at hand. There are also specific grievances with local authorities, to which I shall return.
The HMS Defender Affair
The issue that lead me to read the English transcript published by the Kremlin was an article published at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation which was a news-wire from Reuters. It concerned the UK's destroyer HMS Defender deliberately sailing, armed, into the territorial waters of Russia/Crimea against the temporary removal of "innocent passage", of which their passage was not. Reuters puts quotes around 'provocation' as used by Putin in his statements (based on the Kremlin translation). It was not a "provocation" but a provocation.
Here is the relevant section of the transcript, in full:
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Mr President, a question about a different drama, actually, a big one.
Vladimir Putin: Please.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: It is related to the British warship near Crimea. Do you think the world was on the brink of a Third World War, of all things?
Vladimir Putin: No, I do not think so. Is this a question or did you…?
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: We have received questions on this matter.
Vladimir Putin: No, I do not think so. I will explain what I think and what I do not.
First, this was apparently a provocation; it was obvious that it was a provocation. What did they mean to show and what goals did they want to achieve?
To begin with, this was a comprehensive provocation, and it was conducted not only by the British but also by the Americans. The British entered our territorial waters in the afternoon, whereas earlier, at 7:30 am, a US strategic reconnaissance plane took off from a NATO military airfield in Greece, I think from Crete. I was briefed on this, of course, I know all about it. If I remember correctly, tail number 63/9792. We saw it very clearly and monitored it. It was clear that the destroyer entered [our territorial waters] in pursuit of military objectives, trying to uncover the actions of our Armed Forces to stop a provocation, with the help of the reconnaissance aircraft they were trying to identify how we operated, and where things were was located and how they operated. We saw this and sent them the information which we deemed necessary. I may have let this slip; I hope the military will forgive me. This is the first thing.
The second thing is the political component. Recently, a few days ago, a meeting was held in Geneva. The question was: why was there such a provocation? What was all of that for? For the sake of emphasising that these people do not respect the Crimeans’ choice to join the Russian Federation? Is there something they do not understand there? Fine, keep not accepting it. But why a provocation of this kind?
Nailya Asker-zade: Maybe NATO is teasing us? The Sea Breeze exercise is underway now, and yesterday there was a Dutch frigate.
Vladimir Putin: Here is what I would like to say. You said that this put the world on the brink of a global war. No, of course, not. Even if we had sunk that ship, it is nevertheless difficult to imagine that this would have put the world on the brink of a third world war because those who did this know they could not win a war like that. This is very important.
I do not think that we would have been happy at the turn of events you mentioned, but we at least know what we are fighting for: we are fighting for ourselves and our future on our own territory. It was not us who covered thousands of kilometres by air and sea towards them; it was them who approached our borders and entered our territorial sea, which is a crucial component in the overall situation.
I am not concerned about this or that somebody does not respect the choice of the people in Crimea to join Russia. I have a different concern. Look now, they raised a clamour over the fact that we were conducting exercises on our own territory near the Ukrainian border. I instructed the Defence Ministry to quietly end the drills and withdraw the troops, if this is such a great concern for them. We did so. But instead of responding positively and saying “Ok, we understand your reaction to our indignation,” what did they do? They approached our borders.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Mr President, you said during your annual Address to the Federal Assembly that picking on Russia for any reason has become some kind of new sport. Does this mean they tried to pick on us again this time?
Vladimir Putin: No, this is not picking on us. As I said, this is not what is worrying me. I am worried about another, more fundamental thing, namely, the beginning of military development in Ukrainian territory. Under the Ukrainian Constitution, no foreign bases can be established in the country. Training centres and other facilities and formats are possible. But the military development of a territory that directly borders on our country creates a considerable security problem for us. This has to do with the vital interests of the Russian Federation and the Russian people. Of course, this is alarming, and we must think about it.
Note: I wish to acknowledge MoonOfAlabama, which in its initial publication on the "Defender Affair" identified the NATO surveillance plane. Putin now confirms this and my hypothesis that this was all about mapping standard Russian response patterns for incursion.
Direct Line
The vast majority of the Direct Line event is about Russian national and regional politics. In fact, it is exposing quite a lot of "dirty laundry". There are cases of firefighters on minimum wage, dirty water, dilapidated schools, violations of the directive for cost-free connection to a property's border to gas supply, and more. This is the vast majority of the live televised event which the transcript documents.
To hold the event, apart from the media production, there has been a large volunteer group to coordinate submissions. At one point, one of these volunteers describes recrimination from local authorities because of a submission to the event. It is interesting to read this section, as even in the text transcript, you can read Putin seeing red. All emphasis in the following is mine (there is none whatsoever in the entire Kremlin transcript).
Tatyana Remezova: Thank you.
I would like to say a few words about the good work our volunteers have already done during this Direct Line programme. For example, they have expedited the delivery of medications and food, helped a disabled person in the Saratov Region to get an electric wheelchair, cleared away landfills in the Rostov Region, and cut down a tree that was threatening people in a residential house in the Tver Region. But we have encountered a problem. When somebody calls Direct Line and local officials learn about this, that person starts getting calls with hints and even threats. One of such cases was reported by our volunteer, Regina Kireyeva.
Regina, tell us about it, please.
Regina Kireyeva: In her message, Yelena Kalinina, a resident of Novokuznetsk, requested assistance in repairing the roof of kindergarten-school No. 235 where her grandson Ratmir studied. The renovation was badly needed because children faced completely insanitary conditions.
Tatyana Remezova: By the way, we have a photo of this school and the roof, sent by Ms Kalinina. Will you please show the photos?
Regina Kireyeva: I then called the Department of Education and asked them to comment on the situation.However they could not believe that a Direct Line volunteer was calling them and declined to provide me with any information. Ms Kalinina called the Direct Line the next day and requested that her message be deleted because representatives of the Department of Education had phoned her and asked her to delete it. “Do you not feel sorry for the kindergarten director and your grandson?” they said, whatever that may mean.
Tatyana Remezova: This is very interesting wording:“Do you not feel sorry for your grandson?” What does her grandson have to do with all this? I believe that we should now try to contact Ms Kalinina and find out how she is now.
Vladimir Putin: Go ahead.
Tatyana Remezova: We will try and do it.
Vladimir Putin: Yes, let’s do it.
Tatyana Remezova: We go to the Regional Government section. Great, we have Ms Kalinina on the line.
Ms Kalinina, you are on air, and the President can hear you. Are you not afraid of speaking on Direct Line after all that has happened?
Yelena Kalinina: Good afternoon.
I am having trouble hearing you, I can hardly hear what you are saying.
Nailya Asker-zade: Let’s try to call her back later and go on to the next question now.
Vladimir Putin: Phone her right now.
Nailya Asker-zade: Let’s call Ms Kalinina back.
Vladimir Putin: Of course, she is standing there. Give her the phone.
Nailya Asker-zade: Ms Kalinina, we will try to call you back.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: It appears that there are some magnetic storms and communications problems.
Vladimir Putin: Of course, not.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: We are focusing on the equipment but sometimes even the equipment fails.
Nailya Asker-zade: Right now, we suggest calling Pskov. Here is the call that we promised you. Yes, we are ready to air this call about water problems.
Vladimir Putin: Ms Kalinina, we will be right back.
What's going on here? I think this little section provides quite some insight into Putin and the event. If you accept that Russia was plundered, humiliated and suffered in the mid to late 1990's under the US sponsored rule of Yeltsin, and that Putin's main object was to restore stability and pride in the Russian social fabric via efforts in the political economics of Russia, and via social narratives, then one can glean what is going on.
I failed to recall the analyst who recently stated that Russia is strong when its national political leadership is strong. This Direct Line event is important to Putin. He is talking to Russian citizens (about the dirty laundry) and when there are cases of local authorities not applying the law and I suspect more importantly, the principles behind those, he chooses to commit to get involved. This is demonstrating the power of the national government. For a nationalist, this is critically important, and it also serves his political interests.
One could say "its all just a PR exercise". I would say yes, except for "all". It is an exercise with multiple goals. I am flabbergasted at why people cannot accept something having multiple complimentary objectives.
"But, what about planted questions!?" Oh, come on. Putin doesn't need them. Just look late in the transcript at how he takes a question, answers it briefly, and then bends towards a narrative that has not emerged that he believes important, and so gives a little monologue on it. One could say he is “masterful”. Bollocks. He is intelligent, meticulous, organised, attentive and has an amazing memory for facts and figures.
Back to the interchange above. Putin is receiving evidence that people attempting to participate in his "Your President is Listening to You" event are being threatened. He is irate, and is chastising the event media organisers for not being able to speak with this person. I would characterise his statements as "Do you not understand what is going on here? I am trying to provide a sense of unity to our peoples and you idiots can't even organise a telephone link."
The exchange continues later. Again, all emphasis is mine:
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: I am being told that Yelena Kalinina is with us.
Vladimir Putin: Is she? Please.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Ms Kalinina, can you hear us?
Oh well, it looks like we will not be able to talk to Novokuznetsk.
Vladimir Putin: Perhaps your superiors do not want us to.
Nailya Asker-zade: The connection seems to get blocked.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: They are putting up all kinds of obstacles.
Yelena Kalinina: No, they do not want us to talk.
Vladimir Putin: Now I can hear you.
Go ahead.
Yelena Kalinina: Hello.
Vladimir Putin: Hello.
Yelena Kalinina: Here you go. Our kindergarten, our kindergarten-school No. 235 for children with special needs opened in 1982, or 40 years ago next year.
You see, we get absolutely no help. We recently opened an experimental class. My grandson was in it. He studied for two years with this class.
The kindergarten has a badly leaking roof. We have asked the authorities about it. We asked and begged. They promised, but nothing was done until I directly appealed to you.
Nailya Asker-zade: The connection is still very bad.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: But we got the gist of the problem.
Vladimir Putin: We got it.
Ms Kalinina, can you hear us?
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: I think Ms Kalinina will watch us on television when she gets a chance. I am sure all of Novokuznetsk is following this story.
Vladimir Putin: The problem with the school is clear.
Nailya Asker-zade: Would you like to clarify about the kindergarten?
Vladimir Putin: Apparently, the school and kindergarten are one facility. I got it.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Mr President, what would your comment be?
Vladimir Putin: What is happening to Ms Kalinina herself?
Nailya Asker-zade: She has been receiving threats.
Vladimir Putin: From who?
Nailya Asker-zade: Apparently, from the administration of this kindergarten. They told her she should not have reported this issue to the President.
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: The Department of Education called her.
Vladimir Putin: This is the Kemerovo Region, right?
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Novokuznetsk. She was threatened. They told her she would lose custody of her granddaughter.
Vladimir Putin: Custody of her granddaughter? Because she reported this problem to us?
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Correct.
Vladimir Putin: Ms Kalinina, if you can hear us, please do not worry about custody of your granddaughter. There is no such problem anymore. Anyone who threatened you needs to worry about their own problems.
As concerns the school, I just answered a similar question. We have a budget of tens of billions of rubles for the construction and renovation of schools, both major repairs and maintenance.
Do you have any information on this school?
Yekaterina Berezovskaya: Of course.
Vladimir Putin: I will talk to the Governor. It is the Kemerovo Region, I think.
Nailya Asker-zade: Yes, the Kemerovo Region. Their Governor is Sergei Tsivilev.
Vladimir Putin: (Addressing Sergei Tsivilev.) Mr Tsivilev, I am also asking you to address this issue and apply to the school renovation programme in due time. Since this school and kindergarten are one facility, it is only one job instead of two. And please make sure to deal with the authorities who are threatening the same people they are supposed to be serving.
I hope you will take timely and adequate decisions. Please report to me on the outcome.
This is the clincher. It fits perfectly within the "strong executive", nationalist, Christian Orthodox type of character which Putin represents, which I think is representative of the Russia people. His response could be characterised as "Dear citizen, be calm, your grand daughter will not be taken from you (this is reprehensible and whichever idiot started this has just made their life hell). As for the school, local Governor, do your f*cking job. I want a report, yesterday. I'm trying to run a country here, and the last thing I need is crap like this."
So, you see how this serves all of the objectives. Great PR for Putin, conformity with traditional Russian values, emphasizing the importance of the central government etc..
Analysis
There are a whole bunch of socio-political themes being played out here. Firstly, the interactions between Putin and the citizens, and Putin and the governmental leaders, both regional and national. Its largely regional, because that is what the citizens's are complaining about, but also national towards the end where he's lecturing the national administration about Braille device provision. On the citizen level, its all about "Your Leader is Representing You". On the regional or national administrative level its all about "Your Political Future depends on Me, and mine depends on the People; Get in line". This is all very authoritarian towards the executive, and real-time compassionate towards the citizen. This is why it serves these multi-purposes so well.
The other key aspect is the rule of law. This is so brain-dead obvious that it beggars belief that western commentators cant see it. Apart from the military, and financial control, which are very significant, what power does a state have? National Law. Russia is careful to apply international law, and in this Direct Line event, their President returns to law again and again and again. Government prosecutors have limited resources and must choose between prosecutions of political, financial or human rights based actions because of their finite resources. This, I believe, is one of the most important considerations in vote selection. Where are the national prosecutorial authorities directing their resources?
For Political-Economics to what objectives should a government direct is collected taxes? This is the engine of a government. If you read the transcript, you will see again and again Putin referring to this problem, for it is complex, and how the Russian government is balancing its resource allocation. In this area, his commentary on the agricultural, and animal husbandry areas show a very interesting awareness and focus. The equivalent are in his comments about the international metals markets in relations to building and construction materials.
All of this shows a cultural picture of Russia, and a window into the concerns of its current President and citizenry, and the President’s desire to reinforce national pride, while at the same time talking with citizens about serious problems of clean water, schools, wages, inflation, food prices etc..
Sources
Direct Line with Vladimir Putin , Kremlin
Vladimir Putin accuses Britain and US of 'provocation' but denies stand-off could have led to World War III, Reuters via the ABC