Let’s talk about something positive. In this whole situation with Ukraine, there is one theme that, it seems to me, could unite people. Oddly enough, it is the introduction of sanctions against specific individuals. By sanctions here I mean visa restrictions and the freezing of foreign assets. I noticed quite a while ago that many pro-Putin people, especially the ideological ones (and yes, such people do exist), as opposed to the paid ones, react to Western sanctions against specific crooks with secret—or even open—approval. The logic is understandable: purification will happen faster, it will be easier to nationalize the elites, it will be easier for Putin to take out the hidden national traitors who have infiltrated the Kremlin, the elites will have nothing left to lose and will more quickly agree to “wash their boots in the Indian Ocean” (a reference to imperial expansionist rhetoric). Right now, as I sit here without internet or any means of communication, it’s hard for me to say more precisely who counts as an important pro-Putin figure of this kind, but it is probably writer Sergei Lukyanenko, who writes unbelievably pompous imperial nonsense, yet still, in my view, does so not out of hypocrisy and not for money, but because he believes about 80 percent of this nonsense himself (the other 20 percent is literary technique). Isolation is supposedly for the greater good. We will gather strength and conquer everyone. I’m not arguing with that position on the merits right now, but the position itself is clear. Within that framework, individual sanctions against people who own property abroad should certainly not provoke rejection. Really, you can love Putin until your knees shake, adore him, forgive him everything—but I cannot imagine how much of a fanatical idiot you would have to be to justify the thief Yakunin and believe that his offshore empire or his “fur storage palace” exists for the sake of Russia and serves its interests.
Which ordinary member of United Russia would feel sorry if the $4.3 million house in London belonging to Yakunin’s good-for-nothing son were seized? This is not confiscation in Britain’s favor—it is a freeze, and if we live to see the day when corruption is finally investigated in Russia, then we will be able to prove that the house was bought with money siphoned out of the state-owned Russian Railways and recover it for the state.
The crook Timchenko became a billionaire through corrupt middleman schemes in the trade of our oil. Tell me, those of you who love Putin—wouldn’t you want those billions returned to that same Russian people who were invoked so often yesterday? The sanctions adopted now can provoke nothing except a) laughter and b) irritation. Why the hell Mizulina? Her only crime is that she is a deranged woman who gets perverse pleasure from seeing her name in every newspaper. To achieve that, she keeps coming up with ever more hellish bills. Rogozin’s contribution to sending troops into Ukraine amounts to his belligerent tweets. I think he really does not have property or bank accounts abroad. These sanctions mean nothing to him. The only real thief-corrupt official on the list who was involved in the actions in Ukraine (their failed part—in Kyiv) is Surkov. He is definitely a multimillionaire, but his money is most likely sitting somewhere in Middle Eastern banks, where the entire Chechen mafia keeps theirs. So sanctions need to be imposed on other people, and on a larger number of them. Formally, of course, such sanctions are directed against Russia. But we all understand that in reality they are very pro-Russian—unless, of course, you believe that Russia’s purpose and mission is to build fur storage palaces for 0.0000001% of the population. I have my own firm opinion about who should be targeted by such sanctions—I wrote an article about it for a newspaper, and I hope it will be published soon. But I’d be interested to know whom you would like to see sanctioned to the fullest extent. So, a poll. Putin fans are especially invited to take part: First, let’s do this by type of crook. Which of these groups should be subjected to visa sanctions, and have their assets abroad frozen? [Error: Invalid poll ID 1961204] Obviously, you don’t feel sorry for any of them, but you have to choose. Seven options; you can pick three. Now for specific individuals. Which of the “Putin people” do you feel least sorry for? [Error: Invalid poll ID 1961205] As usual, a request to those who are able to read this blog despite the ban: please spread the link as widely as possible. And promote this thing http://navalny.us/ - it automatically redirects to another mirror of the site that has not yet been blocked. Yes, yes, we have to resort to this kind of guerrilla tactic—but what can you do when the current authorities apparently cannot “rise from their knees” (a Russian nationalist slogan about restored strength) without blocking someone else’s website. During Alexei Navalny’s house arrest, his blog is being run by Yulia Navalnaya and ACF staff.