Remembering Politkovskaya

Filed under: Russia

Say what you like about Vladimir Putin, but few members of the G-8 and UN Security Council can brag about having such a long list of impressive assassinations occur among the ranks of their political opponents without suffering serious adverse political consequences. My latest installment on the Pajamas Media blog reminds us that this past weekend marked the one-year anniversary of the killing of Anna Politkovskaya, the most sensational victim to date of the rise of the neo-Soviet state. When she first sounded the clarion call of warning that it was coming, many dismissed her as a crank. Today, her writings are conventional wisdom and, in light of so many murders (and the arrest of activists who tried to mark her killing in Russia), seem in fact quite moderate. Indeed, how could anyone really be surprised that the election of a proud KGB spy would result in such a regime? What's far more shocking and repulsive than Putin's actions are those of the people of Russia, who stand idly by watching the rise of the neo-Soviet state and thereby desecrate the memory of the countless Russians who gave their lives to bring down its predecessor. Russian history basically boils down to a long sordid tale of confusion in which great national patriots like Politkovskaya (from Pushkin through Sakharov) are taken for traitors and arrested or killed while the true enemies of the nation are elevated to the status of demigod. Little wonder, then, that Russia has collapsed not once but twice in less than a century. My blog La Russophobe also has a series of memorial posts about Politkovskaya, including several original essays by those who admired her. Attorney/blogger Robert Amsterdam, who knew Anna personally, has also published a treasure trove of material, including an original translation of her work and many wonderful photographs (wait for the link, it may take a moment to load).