Shadows of the Power Vertical in the Light of the Flames of the Lame Horse
The tragic fire that occurred in Perm over the weekend is not the kind of thing that is unique to Russia (as illustrated by a similar fire at a club in Rhode Island several years ago). But it is far more common there than elsewhere: the death rate from fire in Russia is approximately ten times that in the US.
President Dmitry Medvedev on Saturday demanded Russia tighten its notoriously lax fire codes after the deadliest blaze since the Soviet era killed at least 107 people celebrating in a nightclub with a decorative twig ceiling and single exit.
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President Dmitry Medvedev on Saturday demanded Russia tighten its notoriously lax fire codes after the deadliest blaze since the Soviet era killed at least 107 people celebrating in a nightclub with a decorative twig ceiling and single exit.
The (perverse) irony, of course, is that tightening fire codes and enforcement will only create increased opportunities for corruption.
Don’t believe me? Well, maybe you’ll believe Putin, who of all people recognizes that Russia is on the hamster wheel from hell:
“We are in a vicious circle. When you give more rights to controlling bodies you get corruption. As soon as the burden is eased you get negligence and cost optimisation, first of all on safety,” Putin said.
True, that. As succinct a synopsis of the futility of “power verticals” as could be imagined, from the mouth of their most stalwart advocate. But do you think that he will follow this flash of insight to its logical conclusion?
Nah, me neither.
Russia is doomed.
Comment by La Russophobe — December 8, 2009 @ 4:55 pm
Russians are just horrified by the fire, which as of Wed morning has claimed 121 lives. They keep pointing out that a terrorist act — blowing up the railroad tracks — killed 26, but the stupidity of the Perm club owners and perfidity of the “controlling organs” killed 121. With killer cops and killer fire inspectors, there seems to be a slight change of policy. They are no longer protecting the guilty, and are going up the food chain a step or two to punish the bosses. But they are still not touching the top guys. I’m not sure this will get them off the hamster wheel from hell (marvellous phrase!). But you know, if you read the full transcript of Putin’s talkathon, it’s quite interesting. Almost every question about a major problem gets this answer: It’s a problem everywhere/we’re not to blame/it’s the US’s fault (ie, downgrading of the urgency of the problem or shifting blame for the source of the problem), followed by a list of all the efforts to combat the problem, topped by an acknowledgement that the problem is really severe and efforts need to be stepped up. The overall impression is “we’ve got things under control,” but the acknowledgements tell another story. I haven’t compared this transcript to previous years’ answers, so I can’t say for sure that it is a change. But I think it is. I think that they realize they have to acknowledge public disontent.
Comment by mossy — December 9, 2009 @ 5:37 am
Mossy–The ultimate problem with exclusively vertical power relationships is that there are no real checks and balances. When everyone up and down the chain is corrupt, no one really has an incentive to blow the whistle because that just turns into a game of mutually assured destruction. Competing interests are necessary to keep each other honest–to a degree, anyways–although collusion is still a danger even in these arrangements. In vertical systems, public discontent is the major threat, but that tends to occur only sporadically, and then often in a spasmodic overreaction. Which contributes to the brittleness of such systems. The historical biploarity of ordinary Russians, oscillating between complete apathy (the normal state) and anarchic violence, is not surprising in vertically-oriented societies. That’s why things like Perm or the Nevsky Express can be very dangerous to the authorities, who will respond by (a) making the kinds of statements you note about doing something to get it under control, and (b) smacking down anyone who does things in the aftermath of the crisis that could threaten to catalyze more widespread discontent.
But, to be honest, in the aftermath of the Kursk, Beslan, Nord Ost, and on and on, it’s hard to see real popular unrest that threatens the authorities really taking hold. The vertical will sacrifice a few scapegoats to appease the discontent, and then things will go back to the way they were before.
Glad you liked the “hamster” line. Thanks.
One can expect an even greater campaign of “unmasking the horrors of stalinism” – movies, documentaries, etc.. After all, things were just as rotten in the 30s. The hoi polloi must not get any ideas.
Comment by So? — December 9, 2009 @ 10:35 pm
We have shocking photos of the disaster:
http://larussophobe.wordpress.com/2009/12/09/one-photo-is-worth-a-thousand-screams/
Victims had to be flown from Siberia to Moscow for treatment because Perm, a major city, has inadequate burn treatment facilities. Yet Putin has money for Iran, Venezuela, and buzzing Americans with nuclear bombers. Shows how he really feels about his countrymen.
Comment by La Russophobe — December 10, 2009 @ 7:51 am
Russia is subsidising Iran and Venezuela? Do tell!
Comment by So? — December 10, 2009 @ 3:45 pm
Don’t wait to long for substantiation from Phoy. She lies like a cheap toupee.
” As succinct a synopsis of the futility of “power verticals†as could be imagined,”
And of course there were no disasters under Yeltsin, who devolved “as much power as you want” to local authorties.
Your mistake is to treat the two horns of this dilemma as equal. They are not, as seen by the improvement in Russian living standards since the “Power verticle” was strengthened. That shows that the Russian “power verticle” you hate so is far from futile.
Comment by rkka — December 12, 2009 @ 7:50 am