Today it was officially announced that Russia, too, will have its own “special path” when it comes to fighting corruption. At a UN conference devoted to the anti-corruption convention, Sergei Ivanov, head of the Russian president’s administration, stated:
It is not at all hard to understand what standards Ivanov is talking about: Russia ratified the entire convention except for Article 20. The very article on “illicit enrichment” that describes the fortunes of Ivanov, Sechin, Patrushev, Yakunin, Serdyukov, Volodin, Neverov, Shuvalov, Peskov, and the rest of that thug-like crew.
Ivanov’s “unacceptable standards” are the right of Russian citizens to ask an official or the head of a state corporation: hey mister, where did you get so much money from—please explain.
So, in essence, today Ivanov, looking out at the large international audience, said: well, guys, we like all this international cooperation stuff—UN conventions, diplomats and simultaneous interpreters, microphones and cameras. We’re ready to sign papers, but you have to understand: we simply want to steal with impunity. We see no problem with talking about fighting corruption before lunch and stealing after lunch. It’s a national characteristic. The Spanish have their siesta, the Italians have pizza, and we steal—what’s the big deal? You’re not going to ban pizza now, are you?
P.S. Here’s another gem from Ivanov’s press conference:
If the answer is no, then that’s the end of it. Wonderful.