I just received another email from a friend of mine who works at a big Western NGO. My friend is quite bitter and jaded regarding Putin, in particular, and Russia, in general. Maybe it was the years he was stationed in the Balkans? I’m not sure. While I have given-up trying to change such Rossophobic voices, I still am interested in seeing the reporting on Russia done better.
So much of what is written about Russia is the Western mainstream press is one-dimensional and a twisted perception of what’s happening here. Don’t get me wrong. There are many things about Russia today which drive me nuts!! There are many many things which need to be improved.
Ultimately, it comes down to whether you view the “Russia glass” as half-full or half-empty. I believe strongly that the “glass” is half-full and that the future here is bright and hopeful. Perhaps I’m naive and wrong. Possible. But I trust my gut and my analytical instincts.
At some point Russia will have improved to such a degree that those few remaining Russophobic voices will seem as crazy and nuts as does McCarthyism today. Ironically, Russia is waiting for nobody. Instead it’s rebuilding itself as many in the West debate illusions of perception.
I have written a quick email to Clifford Levy the New York Times reporter in Moscow. Drop Mr. Levy an email (cllevy@nytimes.com) yourself and encourage him to dig a bit more deeply in his coverage of Russia. The days of Michael Wines-type coverage of Russia are over.
Here’s the email I got from my friend at an NGO in relation to Clifford Levy’s article about Putin and the Orthodox Church.
Here’s the email from my NGO high school friend:
Tim: So screw the NGOs. but your church? gosh, that seems a bit unneccessary. or maybe you’re orthodox now…
Below it is my email to Clifford:
Cliff:
I’ve forwarded to you an email I received from a friend of mine from Exeter. He now works for (”large NGO”). He is super anti-Putin. Most of your article feed his hatred. It’s not surprising that with “friends like these” that Putin told them to take a hike.
I wanted you to see first-hand how your articles truly influence the thinking of a whole nation of Americans without access to Russia today.
I know anti-Putinism “sells” but, as we have discussed before, the reality here on the ground is very different than those Russophobic folks would want others to think.
There is one fundamental question all Russia-watchers need to ask themself. It is, “Is Putin making decisions based on what he believes is best for the majority of Russians or are his decisions a result of self-interest and hunger for power?”
To me, Putin will be remembered as the best thing to happen to Russia post Soviet break-up. I believe that while it is understandable that many folks in the West may not “like” all of Putin’s decisions, that those decisions are, nonetheless, done logically, ethically, and with the best interest of Russia at heart.
I believe that the desire, on the part of Putin, to make Russia stronger should not, automatically, be equated with a desire to return to the old days of the Soviet Union.
I ask you to look at the articles you write, such as this one on the church, which are more editorial in nature, to see if you are breaking new ground and pushing the dialogue forward. Or are you feeding the false and outdated stereotypes people have of Putin and Russia?
Russia, post 1998, must be seen in stages. We are now at the end of stage 1. The results are remarkable. Talk of “freedoms” and “Democracy” are premature. That is what will blossom in stage 3. However, before then, Medvedev will lead us through stage 2 where corruption and red tape will be addressed and improved.
There are soooo many interesting and original human interest stories. I invite you once again to come visit us down here in Krasnodar. Life here is good, not to mention warmer.
I hope you will break the tired mold of NYT journalists. I know you can write well. I know you actually care about “getting it right” as evidenced by your translations of comments from Russian to english. I just think you need to take a risk and write something positive about this wonderful country.
Regards, Tim Post
BTW- Check-out the Comments section of Clifford’s article. He translated the article into Russian then hundreds of Russians left messages which he then had translated back into English. The result is fantastic.
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