Students at Russia's Harvard in Open Rebellion
Filed under: Europe
The New York Times reports today that a group of students calling themselves "OD" (that's their logo above) at Russia's version of Harvard, Moscow State University, is actively engaged in a protest against shoddy teaching standards and virulent anti-Semitism and anti-Americanism at their college. According to the group's manifesto, published in English on their website:
The dean's office has distributed a brochure entitled "Why is the Russian Land being 'cleansed'?," whose authors blame Freemasons for "starting the world wars and initiating the creation of the atomic bomb" and claim that "the Zionist lobby . . . dictates US and British policy, is in charge of the global financial system (including the issuing of dollars), and practically controls all major mass media and telecommunications," calls Russia "the Righteous Country" and the USA "the Beast Country," and quote the "Protocols of the Elders of Zion" as a reliable source.
The Times quotes one student saying: "The quality of the education has become so low that it has become terrible. For the last two years all of my education has had to be self-education." It also states that, not suprisingly, the faculty are denying the substantive charges. However, even they admit that the students are living in conditions of intolerable squalor and pledge to address at least that issue. If they make this admission regarding Russia's most powerful academic institution, can you imagine how students are living at more mediocre schools? It really gives the lie to the idea that Russia is experiencing massive economic growth due to energy prices. And can you imagine Russia's reaction if an Harvard professor were found calling Russia "the Beast country"?
The contact information is given for the students at the link for their manifesto (above); they are asking for help and advice as to how to push forward in their grass-roots demcratic campaign. Efforts like this are so dangerous in Russia, and so few and far between, that we all should do what we can to help. They've clearly been successful in getting their story into the national press, and therefore are well worthy of support.
Here is an amusing YouTube purportedly made by an MGU student about the school's many unique features:
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