OU: Berezovsky (notes)
Talk at the Oxford Union. He talked for ~25 mins. Then there was ~30 mins of Qs/As. I wasn't really taking notes, so what follows is just my loose recollection of the topics he mentioned.
======================================
OPENING:
I enjoyed my years as a soviet scientist/academic.
I enjoyed my years as a businessman.
I enjoy politics now.
ADDRESS:
Soviets:
1. Inability of the centralized economy to compete and be effective.
2. Inability of the state to raise above nationalism, build a state where citizenship is separate from nationality (i.e. like USA).
2a. Soviet mentalitet carried through into present: Inability of the people to recognize, accept and fight for a truly civic state (гражданское общество.) Люди привыкли зависеть! Не готовы принять, понять и защищать свою свободу! Russian elite, liberals, intelligentia -- naive people, hoping the West will come to their help, not able to catalyze the masses.
----
Post-soviets (no one predicted the collapse):
Yeltsin established basic mechanisms of democracy in Russia. Mechanisms of decentralized economy...
Putin promised to follow through with reforms and turned things around. Putin honestly believes that centralization is better. BAB honestly believes that it is not and that history is on his side.
----
Russia is still potentially one of the most affluential nations. It is crytically important to the future stability of the world and its role is presently being drastically underestimated by the West. He also talked a bit about strategic planning and how it seems that no one really understands/does geo-politics anymore. West/USA is rather narrowminded (Russia, Iraq war). That's why he is giving this public talk.
----
Problems with Perestrojka/ Oran'zhevaya Revolyuciya:
None of the events was carried out to FINALIZATION. The political freedoms/reforms have not had a chance to set-up nor did they translate into economic reforms/freedoms.
----
He said a few things about other republics -- Kaz., Azej., Georgia, Ukraine but I don't remember what exactly. Something about them actually embracing the democracy and how they are strategic interest points for Russia and for the West. [he wasn't very clear, though, or I was too stupid to follow his line of reasoning].
----
QUESTIONS:
Q: ??? [something about people of the country]
A: ... "MAJORITY just follows the most ACTIVE part" [я не знаю, что он говорит в России, но если то-же самое то он далеко не самый худший вариант политика]...
Q: ... ??? [something about world politics]
A: He was surprised in the States by how clever the students were at Princeton/Yale, etc... and how narrow-minded the politicians at Washington were. His anecdote: after Princeton you either go to NY or to WASH. Smartest go to NY, the rest to WASH. [I would say that the smartest actually go neither into business nor in politics (in fact, "smarts" aren't even relevant here), but that's just me].
Q: How did he become so [illegally] rich?
A: ... He was investigated by the West for 2 years and cleared. His criminal case in Russia has just been closed. Strictly speaking, he has never done anything illegal, lawless. [Остап чист перед законом.] As far as how... at the beginning of perestrojka, he was one of maybe 10000 people max who recognized the opportunity... and took action He realized that in Russian economy which was geared towards production and not towards services the competition does not exist while the demand is exorbitant. Russian people want two fundamentals: personal auto and personal жилье... In two years, by '91, he has already amassed value in excess of 100 million USD, after that... money makes money...
Q: ... Chechnya ...
A: ... Russia started this war. The war is has not recognized as a war. The war it has never accepted as a war. The war against Chechens. Under Yeltsin, Chechens were running into Russia because they thought it is a war for unity not against Chechnya. Under Putin they run outside, because it is a war against Chechens.
It is obligation of any government to discuss/negotiate w/ terrorists who hold hostages. It is a moral obligation to try to save human lives...
Q: 1 ... his recent interview to a French magazine where he said that either he or Putin will give up... 2. BAB for president?
A1: ... "I am historically correct" ... Time is moving much faster now than in 20th century so all the changes can be expected to happen on a much faster scale.
A2: He is not a president material because "he loves politics, but he doesn't like power." [I guess he doesn't like the spotlight. Царские регалии. He would rather be behind the scenes]. He also has a "mentalitet" issue. He thinks of himself as a "strategist".
Q: WHAT IS YOUR GOLDEN RULE IN LIFE?
A: ... "To stay true to your own understanding (know yourself), your own feeling of the world"...
===================
PERSONAL NOTES:
Особого отвращения он у меня не вызвал, хотя приятным человеком я бы его тоже не назвал.
He said two times during the talk that he is still a Russian citizen and that he's only been granted political asylum in the UK.
Mне казалось, что он был прям: на все вопросы отвечал сразу, отвечал конкретно и не разводил полемику/политику, не сводил все вопросы к каким-то своим тезисам или к пустой болтовне.
P.S. С другой стороны, после презентации один человек которого я спросил, что он думает, сказал, что Берeзовский отчаянно лицемерил.
P.P.S. А самые умные студенты "ложили" на Березовского и занимались делом, работали, вместо того, что бы шляться на всякие там сомнительные презентации.
======================================
OPENING:
I enjoyed my years as a soviet scientist/academic.
I enjoyed my years as a businessman.
I enjoy politics now.
ADDRESS:
Soviets:
1. Inability of the centralized economy to compete and be effective.
2. Inability of the state to raise above nationalism, build a state where citizenship is separate from nationality (i.e. like USA).
2a. Soviet mentalitet carried through into present: Inability of the people to recognize, accept and fight for a truly civic state (гражданское общество.) Люди привыкли зависеть! Не готовы принять, понять и защищать свою свободу! Russian elite, liberals, intelligentia -- naive people, hoping the West will come to their help, not able to catalyze the masses.
----
Post-soviets (no one predicted the collapse):
Yeltsin established basic mechanisms of democracy in Russia. Mechanisms of decentralized economy...
Putin promised to follow through with reforms and turned things around. Putin honestly believes that centralization is better. BAB honestly believes that it is not and that history is on his side.
----
Russia is still potentially one of the most affluential nations. It is crytically important to the future stability of the world and its role is presently being drastically underestimated by the West. He also talked a bit about strategic planning and how it seems that no one really understands/does geo-politics anymore. West/USA is rather narrowminded (Russia, Iraq war). That's why he is giving this public talk.
----
Problems with Perestrojka/ Oran'zhevaya Revolyuciya:
None of the events was carried out to FINALIZATION. The political freedoms/reforms have not had a chance to set-up nor did they translate into economic reforms/freedoms.
----
He said a few things about other republics -- Kaz., Azej., Georgia, Ukraine but I don't remember what exactly. Something about them actually embracing the democracy and how they are strategic interest points for Russia and for the West. [he wasn't very clear, though, or I was too stupid to follow his line of reasoning].
----
QUESTIONS:
Q: ??? [something about people of the country]
A: ... "MAJORITY just follows the most ACTIVE part" [я не знаю, что он говорит в России, но если то-же самое то он далеко не самый худший вариант политика]...
Q: ... ??? [something about world politics]
A: He was surprised in the States by how clever the students were at Princeton/Yale, etc... and how narrow-minded the politicians at Washington were. His anecdote: after Princeton you either go to NY or to WASH. Smartest go to NY, the rest to WASH. [I would say that the smartest actually go neither into business nor in politics (in fact, "smarts" aren't even relevant here), but that's just me].
Q: How did he become so [illegally] rich?
A: ... He was investigated by the West for 2 years and cleared. His criminal case in Russia has just been closed. Strictly speaking, he has never done anything illegal, lawless. [Остап чист перед законом.] As far as how... at the beginning of perestrojka, he was one of maybe 10000 people max who recognized the opportunity... and took action He realized that in Russian economy which was geared towards production and not towards services the competition does not exist while the demand is exorbitant. Russian people want two fundamentals: personal auto and personal жилье... In two years, by '91, he has already amassed value in excess of 100 million USD, after that... money makes money...
Q: ... Chechnya ...
A: ... Russia started this war. The war is has not recognized as a war. The war it has never accepted as a war. The war against Chechens. Under Yeltsin, Chechens were running into Russia because they thought it is a war for unity not against Chechnya. Under Putin they run outside, because it is a war against Chechens.
It is obligation of any government to discuss/negotiate w/ terrorists who hold hostages. It is a moral obligation to try to save human lives...
Q: 1 ... his recent interview to a French magazine where he said that either he or Putin will give up... 2. BAB for president?
A1: ... "I am historically correct" ... Time is moving much faster now than in 20th century so all the changes can be expected to happen on a much faster scale.
A2: He is not a president material because "he loves politics, but he doesn't like power." [I guess he doesn't like the spotlight. Царские регалии. He would rather be behind the scenes]. He also has a "mentalitet" issue. He thinks of himself as a "strategist".
Q: WHAT IS YOUR GOLDEN RULE IN LIFE?
A: ... "To stay true to your own understanding (know yourself), your own feeling of the world"...
===================
PERSONAL NOTES:
Особого отвращения он у меня не вызвал, хотя приятным человеком я бы его тоже не назвал.
He said two times during the talk that he is still a Russian citizen and that he's only been granted political asylum in the UK.
Mне казалось, что он был прям: на все вопросы отвечал сразу, отвечал конкретно и не разводил полемику/политику, не сводил все вопросы к каким-то своим тезисам или к пустой болтовне.
P.S. С другой стороны, после презентации один человек которого я спросил, что он думает, сказал, что Берeзовский отчаянно лицемерил.
P.P.S. А самые умные студенты "ложили" на Березовского и занимались делом, работали, вместо того, что бы шляться на всякие там сомнительные презентации.