Once, Katz decided to run for a seat on the local council in Moscow’s Shchukino district and came to me for advice. Placing a snow-white top hat with a decorative ribbon on his knees, he listened to my campaign advice (he followed none of it, but still won the election). After that, we had a discussion about why these local elections matter at all and whether there was any need to fight anyone. Katz said he liked RosPil and RosYama and all that, but that the “fight against crooks and thieves” was nonsense and mere politicking. Katz said he wanted beautiful benches and comfortable urban space in Shchukino. Katz insisted that all officials would become wiser and kinder if only they listened to the fascinating lectures of Professor Vuchek. Katz dreamed of planting dahlias and petunias. Katz dreamed of ivy, heather, and beautiful brass plaques. When I told him that the main reason there were no petunias and brass plaques—and never would be—was United Russia (the ruling pro-Kremlin party) and Putin, Katz would arch an eyebrow ironically and tap the tip of his cane on the floor in disbelief. And now, behold. The old Katz has burned up in the flames, and from his ashes emerges the outline of a Phoenix—a new, furious Katz. Scathing political commentary has replaced the ivory cane. Simply a magnificent post. The district authorities, let me tell you, are crawling with an absurdly huge assortment of nasty little crooks. That was the impression I got as soon as I dove into municipal hell. .... The breeding ground for crooks, as one would expect, is the United Russia party. All the crooks belong to it and coordinate through it; inside it, they somehow work out who will cover for whom and how, who will vote for whom, and how they’ll divide up the thousand dollars they’ve skimmed. Katz isn’t just exposing a thieving United Russia auntie—he’s even hiring a lawyer to go after her. What’s more, in the best traditions of DMP, he’s putting out a special newspaper about her:
And he’s raising money to increase the print run. I fully approve. Since Katz is a well-known champion of capitalism and market relations, here is my public offer to him: I’ll contribute 10,000 rubles (about $330 at the time) to the newspaper if it also includes the slogan "United Russia is the Party of Crooks and Thieves" in large type (no smaller than the phrase "About this newspaper"). On top of that, I’ll contribute another 5,000 rubles (about $165 at the time) if the article about the corrupt Vodolazova states outright that nasty little crooks like her stay in power because Putin protects them. On top of that, I’ll contribute another 250 rubles (about $8 at the time) if the newspaper mentions D. Medvedev with the epithet "pathetic." I urge everyone to help Katz spread the post, because this is, among other things, an example of the proper political evolution of a person engaged in “solving specific small problems.” One of those specific small problems has become a fight not simply against a specific official, but against a specific official as a representative of United Russia’s thieving scum. Well done, Katz.