The Foreign Service Journal, October 2004

pretending to change the government structure, and to sell those changes to the people as if they were essential reforms. This explains the recent adjustments to the FSB’s (formerly KGB) status that will bring it greater control over different departments within the Russian government and increase the monitoring of citizens’ everyday activities. What government in its right mind would like to change this sweet situation? Despite Putin’s and Kerry’s common enthusiasm for downhill skiing, the Kremlin understands that the Democrats have concerns regard- ing a variety of issues in Russia. I have been told that Kerry’s foreign policy advisers have already presented a strong case for their “Kremlin-bothering strategy” to some Washington experts. Kerry’s promise to create alliances and bring the U.N. to the Iraqi table, though in my view hard to achieve, would not necessarily prevent his administration from bringing this kind of pressure to bear onMoscow. So Putin probably understands that the Democrats who are writing op-eds criticizing him today may be sitting in the White House in January. Regardless of the election outcome, Russia’s relentless anti-American propaganda offensive isn’t likely to stop any time soon. Bashing the United States is a useful substitute for essential reforms. The first set of reforms needed to set Russia on a new course are very basic: to honestly tell Russians that their country is in bad shape, and to suggest a national idea that means something to the average citi- zen. This, in my view, would require a totally different approach by those in power. The cynicism of the Kremlin’s foreign and domestic policy during 13 years of stunted Russian democracy, under Boris Yeltsin and Vladimir Putin alike, has taught the Russian people that its promises have no meaning whatsoever, and even more that it has become synony- mous with corruption. So, by analogy, to most Russians the U.S. presidential election is not about the conflict between two sets of ideals, or even ideologies. It is simply a clash of opposing gangs, a turf battle like they are used to seeing at home. F O C U S O C T O B E R 2 0 0 4 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 29 2000 N. 14th Street Suite 500 Arlington, VA 22201 Telephone (703) 797-3259 Fax (703) 524-7559 Tollfree (800) 424-9500