Date: Sun, 16 Mar 1997 16:29:02 -0500 (EST)
From: klo_mckinsey-AT-K12.MEC.OHIO.GOV
Subject: M-I: My Reply to Yeltsin's Speech



> YELTSIN'S RADIO ADDRESS DEVOTED TO MASS MEDIA
> MOSCOW, MARCH 14, RIA NOVOSTI CORRESPONDENT -



MY REPLY,

     Yeltsin's speech is a quintessential example of Lenin's adage 
that in capitalist society the essence does not match the appearance.



YELTSIN SAYS,
>
> Dear Russian citizens,
>
> As you know, I have recently delivered the annual
> presidential message to the Federal Assembly.
>
> Immediately after that the first steps were taken to
> implement it in the part related to changes in the government.
> The point at issue is to carry on the reforms, but do it more
> energetically and consistently. 



MY REPLY,

     In other words, brace yourselves citizens of Russia.  Things are 
about to get worse than ever before.  We are about to ratchet the 
screws even tighter and capitalism is going to be rammed down 
your throats even more vigorously.



YELTSIN CONTINUES

>That is why I would like to
> devote this radio address to the Russian mass media. They have a
> special, extremely important role to play now.



MY REPLY,

     Yes, they have to fall in line and cover up the agony that is about
to follow in ever greater volume. 



YELTSIN CONTINUES,

> One of the main achievements of new Russia, which even our
> opponents do not question, is the freedom of the press, its
> independence of superior orders and ideological considerations.
> This freedom resulted in the flourishing of printed publications
> and TV channels and a genuine diversity of views and opinions.
> This is how it should be.




AND NOW I REPLY WITH, 

     Yes, freedom of the press for those who can afford a press or work
closely with those who do.  Freedom for those with wealth.  The
overwhelming bulk of the population doesn't see anything in or on the
media that really represents their views or attitudes.  It is a classic
case of rule by a minority at the expense of the majority. 



YELTSIN CONTINUES WITH,

> A truly democratic society is inconceivable without the
> freedom of speech and the press. Naturally enough, this does not
> suit everyone.



MY REPLY IS,

     Correct.  It doesn't suit those without money, which includes over 
90% of the population.  There is nothing truly democratic about a 
society in which a small minority owns and operates the press for its 
own benefit.  And that is absolutely unavoidable in any society in 
which a small minority of 10% has more than 90% of the wealth.  
What Yeltsin refers to as a "democratic society" does not suit those 
without money or property because it is decidedly undemocratic for 
them.  Only the few can be heard to any meaningful degree.



YELTSIN CONTINUES WITH,

>Some people cry out that you do not write as you
> should, or show things in an unsuitable manner, that you should
> be more kind, and nicer, and more generous. In short, they are
> cautiously advocating limitations for the mass media.



MY REPLY,

     NO.  MOST ASSUREDLY NOT.  PRECISELY THE OPPOSITE IS 
TRUE.  They are crying out that the press should be
less kind, less nice, and less generous towards the government.  
The latter is already getting too much of a free ride as it is.  
They are crying out  for more honesty and openness, not more 
limitations. 



YELTSIN SAYS,
>
> But this amounts to censorship, no matter how you disguise
> it.



MY REPLY

     What Yeltsin is surreptitiously advocating is the real censorship. 
He is trying to censor while attempting to portray himself as an advocate
of free speech and less restrictions.  Talk about sleigh of hand!  His
opponents are calling for more openness, while he wants the press to watch
their "p's" and "q's."  The hypocrisy of the man is truly a sight to
behold.  Just look at the Soviet Union and that should tell you all you
need to know about who has libraries of data to hide.  Compare the Russia
of today with how it looked 20 years ago and you will see why he and his
strategists have opted for this scheme.  It's about the only one
available. 




YELTSIN CONTINUES WITH,

>First limitations, and then what? We have had this before
> and know what censorship can result in. That is why we will not
> have political or ideological censorship.



MY REPLY,

     Yet, that is exactly what he is advocating.  In essence, he is 
telling the press to hide his government's failings as much as possible.  
Why?  Because if the people discover the real extent of the disaster 
they  could very well bring down the whole process of capitalist 
restoration and bring into power the former system, meaning socialism, 
which would allegedly restrict their "freedom of the press."  That's 
analogous to saying "I'm rotten to the core, but I'm the best you've 
got."  




YELTSIN SAYS,

> We see that society needs and has grown used to having the
> freedom of the speech, and regards it as natural, a fact of
> life. So, there will be no turning back to the era of
> humiliating lies and false unity of opinion. We have scored the
> greatest achievements in this sphere.



MY REPLY,

     Society has grown used to having freedom of speech for a small 
minority of the population and those so benefited have grown used to 
same.  That's all.
     Yeltsin is talking about an "era of humiliating lies?"  Yeltsin is
actually talking about lying, a man who has uttered more falsities and 
made more deceptive and misleading promises than any leader since the
Czars.  The master of prevarication is accusing others of lying!  Truly
unbelievable!  With respect to wage arrears alone he has lied to literally
millions of people constantly.



YELTSIN CONTINUES,

> On the other hand, freedom cannot be limitless. It must
> have certain boundaries, limits. These boundaries are the
> responsibility of journalists to society. We know that the
> press, radio and television have a great power to influence
> people. And when I speak about the responsibility of
> journalists, I don't call on them to distort or, God forbid,
> gloss over facts. I just invite you to ask yourselves more often
> how your word can influence the minds of the readers? And it
> does influence them. The popular saying goes that a word can
> wound, but it can also heal. This is the power of words.



MY REPLY,

     Yes, freedom cannot be limitless but he asks that the line be 
drawn at reports exposing the system for the
corrupt, incompetent, inefficient, unjust, iniquitous, class-favoring
monster that it is.  Of course, all of this is swept under the euphemistic 
rubric of asking them to act as responsible journalists.  After all, 
he is saying, you don't want to create any disturbances, now do 
you.  Remember words "can wound" and wounds mean trouble.  
Trouble for me and possibly for you.



YELTSIN CONTINUES,

> I felt the power of words myself more than once in my
> lifetime. Today your word can be very weighty, if not decisive.
> It can calm the people down, strengthen their will and reason,
> or it can push them towards even greater hostility and destroy
> their beliefs.



MY REPLY,

     In other words, I have taken enough hits already so have a heart 
and lay off.  
     Moreover, what you say can generate real upheavals.  
So be careful for my sake and that of those in charge of this catastrophic 
mess.  If the beliefs of the masses are destroyed, even you could lose, 
because you never know what ideas might take their place.



YELTSIN CONTINUES,
 
> I understand that you want to make public the things that
> worry you. You want to chastise the authorities for their clumsy
> actions. But we all live in the same country, in one common
> home. You can help clean up the mess and remove the garbage, or
> you can shout that it is very dirty and disgusting. On the other
> hand, in some cases one cannot but shout.



MY REPLY,

     In other words, I know it's a mess and we deserve all the criticism 
we get, but just give us more time to correct our clumsy actions.  Here 
Yeltsin is insidiously trying to shift the focus.  He is willing to expose 
his officials to "hits," because that gives his hearers the impression 
that the problem is essentially one of getting better personnel rather 
than a better system.  The message he is trying to convey is that 
the system and program he and his gang are installing is 
essentially OK, it's those who are doing the administering who 
need to be replaced.  If we just get the "right" people everything 
will work out  fine.  That's the idea.  To that I say, 
WHAT GARBAGE!  He has been spewing that line every since 
he shot his way into power and conditions are worse now than 
ever before.
     Secondly, he says "we all live in the same country, in one 
common home."  That is a surreptitious attempt to gloss the class 
warfare that is currently raging in Russia by giving his hearers the 
impression that the interests of everyone are essentially the same 
and all should work toward a common goal, namely his.  In truth, 
the interests of millions of people in Russia are diametrically 
opposed and what works to the benefit of one class is highly 
inimical to another.
     Thirdly, how can the people clean up a situation when they are 
not informed as to how bad it is?  Yeltsin is adept at twisting 
deplorable situations to his own benefit.  He gives journalists the 
option of either jumping in and helping to clean up the mess or 
spending their time shouting about how bad things are.  This is a 
backhanded piece of deception because it gives the hearer the 
impression that if he is shouting about how bad conditions are, 
then he is not jumping in to help clean up.  In truth, they are not
 mutually exclusive but are complementary.  Before people can 
jump in, they must first know what needs to be jumped on.  For 
understandable reasons, Yeltsin has almost no interest in 
discussing the latter.



YELTSIN SAYS,

> The profession of journalists has become one of the most
> dangerous. They are threatened, kidnapped, taken hostage and
> even killed. I want to assure you that we will do everything in
> our power in such cases to save the victims. This is one of the
> state's priorities.



MY REPLY,

     NOW WHO'S THE TERRORIST?  This is a cunningly devised 
threat on the lives and safety of all journalists who aren't willing to 
go along.  Make no mistake about that.  He is saying that if you 
don't comply, you could possibly meet the fate of others, and 
although he will not be the perpetrator, those in sympathy with 
his program may very well act on their on accord.  He tries to 
disguise the underlying implication by saying that the state will 
attempt to guarantee their safety, when every journalist knows 
that the state's record for guaranteeing the safety of anyone in 
recent years has been anything but exemplary.  Journalists 
are not stupid; they can read the fine print and feel the vibes 
and are fully attune to how high concern for unsympathetic 
journalists would be on Yeltsin's priority list.



YELTSIN SAYS,

> In general, the authorities have quite a few debts to the
> press. They mostly see the Moscow publications and the capital's
> journalistic elite. They completely disregard the great number
> of regional and small-town publications, although their
> readership is much larger than the readership of the most
> popular and fashionable Moscow-based newspapers. 



MY REPLY,

     In his usual perverted style Yeltsin starts out diametrically 
opposite to where he intends to end up.  He says, "the 
authorities have quite a few debts to the press," but then goes 
on to show that the Moscow press owes a debt of gratitude 
and support to his authorities.  After all, he says to the Moscow 
press, we are giving you more attention than the outlining 
regions, despite the fact that their "readership is much larger 
than the readership of the most popular and fashionable 
Moscow-based newspapers." That's the message. 



YELTSIN CONTINUES

>Never have I
> heard of the central authorities protecting the rights of
> journalists on the staff of local publications, who sometimes
> have complicated relations with the local governments. The
> material support of the regional and local press is negligible.
> The federal radio stations are in a dramatic financial
> situation, to say nothing of the regional radio and television
> ones.



MY REPLY,

     Translated this means we have given the local Moscow 
press far more financial assistance than we have given to those 
in the provinces.  You certainly get more support than local 
publications receive from local and regional governments, 
so you owe us one.  
     Moreover, although your financial condition is better than 
that in the provinces, you are in a precarious condition, as 
well, and could find your funding slashed should you fail to 
play ball.  
     Just more intimidation for the pile.  



YELTSIN CONTINUES,

> Yet I am convinced that the situation will improve. The
> authorities will do their part of the work and the Russian
> citizens will eventually lead a normal civilized life. 



MY REPLY,

     In other words, everything will just get back to normal and 
start to improve if you will just get on board the Yeltsin yacht.



YELTSIN CONTINUES,

>But relations between the authorities and the press will not be
> simple even then. This is a special case when deep requited love
> is out of the question, which I think you understand without any
> additional explanations.



MY REPLY,

     This means I don't expect you to love me or vice versa; but I 
do expect you to fall in line and, if you don't, I can be real nasty 
and you will wish you had.  You know how I have behaved in 
the past, and you had better get my drift "without any additional 
explanations."



YELTSIN CONCLUDES WITH,

> In conclusion I want to thank all Russian journalists,
> those who are quietly and with great dignity fulfilling their
> persistent, honourable enlightenment tasks in the outlying
> regions, and those who risk their life in the hot spots. It
> would have been more difficult without you. Thank you.



MY CONCLUDING REPLY IS,

    In essence, he is saying you can expect compliments, if not rewards,
if you decide to play ball.  And of course, don't forget that your life is
at stake should you decide otherwise.  You make it easy for me and I will
make it easy for you. 
     Yeltsin and his advisors are picking his words for every speech 
with extreme care these days and every sentence, every word, 
has real implications.

     No gangster ever stated his position better with more subtlety.

    

     Now one can understand why Yeltsin's speech is a 
quintessential example of Lenin's adage that in capitalist 
society the essence does not match the appearance.



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