The Beginning of the End of Post-Soviet Gangsterism in Russian Government

During the era of political machines and gangster-government in the US, mob buddies held comfy positions, with no need for accountability, and no need to actually do anything. The government-by-mob didn't happen because the electorate believes in criminals, or the institutions were weak; it was because government was seen as largely irrelevant in people's lives. What exactly do they do for us anyhow? Take money in taxes, build roads? Then let someone who can get those jobs done do it.

That is, until a crisis occurs, in which case the corrupt comfy-boys weren't suited to it, nothing was done, tragedy struck, the people were outraged and the bums were thrown out by an electorate enraged by incompetence, headed by the reformist movement.

During the Beslan hostage crisis, the Russian government lied and hid facts about the crisis from the press and the people -- saying, for example, there were only 354 hostages, when in fact they numbered 1,200; and not saying that the hostage-takers had demands, to get Russia out of Chechnya. That crisis has ended in outrageous carnage.

The Russian people now know these facts . And this is where a democracy swings into action. With strong democratic institutions, comes to the fore the reformer -- someone who rails against the present administration and their failures, and promises better to the people. That person can win an election, and throw the corrupt people out of their comfy positions, perhaps imprison some.

This is exactly how the US evolved out of machine politics. Now we can watch Russia do the same. And when it is done, it will be one of the strongest, largest democracies in the world.