Tag Archives: Russia

What Causes the Media to Focus on a Particular Story?

Bizarre, News, Politics, Social Networking, , , , , , , , ,

ABC News International ran an interesting story the other day about Mikhail Gorbachev. It covered the last years of Gorbachev’s control of the Soviet Union right before it collapsed. Today, Reuter’s ran yet another interesting analysis of the August Coup that precipitated the collapse of the Soviet Union. Both stories came out of nowhere and pretty much had nothing to do with any particular story that was going on at the time. So, my question is: Why are mainstream news entities running these stories that seem to have no current relevance, yet both seem to be very intent on covering details that happened at around the same time, almost as if they’re complementing each other to tell us a much larger story of some kind of relevance.

Normally, I wouldn’t notice this, but I happened to have done a lot of research on the August Coup for my master’s thesis a few years ago, and it’s currently the setting of my most recent novel, 72 Hours in August. So when this sort of story drops, and it has a lot of relevance to what I’m writing, I find it very significant. However, before this, there was almost no information on the subject, which made for some very difficult research at the time. Now, it’s almost as if I could have just typed Google and would have everything I needed a few years ago. It sometimes doesn’t make any sense.

So I wonder at what agenda news medias have when they run these sorts of stories. Is there something going on with Gorbachev right now that causes senior members of the media establishment to want us to focus on the information? Is Russia about to become highly relevant again on the international stage in a way that it isn’t already? Does some analogy of coups have the possibility of transcending current events in a way that someone feels we need to have this seed planted before new events take place? In other words, is some huge coup coming around the corner, involving social media (in which Yeltsin’s response to the August Coup pretty much reinvented social media responses to huge events) so that we need to be reminded of how significant resistance is because we’re about to experience it again? Or is this such a slow news cycle that media personnel are resurrecting old stories for no reason, that have no connection to anything, just because there’s nothing else going on?

I tend to go with the conspiracy side of the house. I believe things are linked for reasons, even if it’s not that obvious why. I’m not saying there’s some diabolical mustache-twirler in a hidden office hidden underground who is manipulating things (although I’m not saying there’s not one either), but some things seem a little too random to be completely random, if that makes any sense.

Anyway, I’m wondering if we’ll start to see the third prong of the story framing, because one thing still seems to be missing, and I have a feeling it’s coming around the corner. Unfortunately, my guess as to what it will be is probably as good as yours. Or worse, considering I usually suspect Elmo is involved, but that’s a whole other issue….

I’m so glad I don’t work for Vasily Boiko

Religion, , , , , , ,

If you live in Russia and work for Russkoye Moloko, which means “Russian Milk”, it’s not just good enough that your job is done well. You also have to kowtow to everything that falls under the rules of the Orthodox Church. It seems that “Boiko the Great”, as he likes to call himself, has determined that having an abortion is a firing offense. He says it is murder and will not employ anyone like that. One woman is currently on the chopping block as a result. But that’s not all. He also thinks that if you’re “living in sin”, you’re wrong and should be fired. He has given an ultimatum that will be carried out on October 14 (a holy Russian, Orthodox day). If you are living in sin after that, you’re fired.

What’s interesting is that even if you’re not of the Orthodox religion, he doesn’t care. You’re still going to be fired. What’s even more interesting is that this is not a man without sin either. This guy just served time in prison for fraud allegations in 2007, which really isn’t that long ago. So because HE found religion in prison, suddenly everyone else has to suffer as a result.

All I can say is that I’m fortunate that I don’t work in that environment. While there are times when my own geographical area scares me religious-wise, as the locals can be somewhat dogmatic about religions that aren’t mine, and there have even been times where I’ve seen that filter over into the work environment, at least my job hasn’t been at jeopardy because one lunatic decided that his way is the only way. It’s one of those things that has scared me for quite some time because as an amateur philosopher-scientist and writer, I find myself often at odds with practically everything and everyone around me. I’ve always been open to everyone else, even to the point where I don’t care what religion other people are, and I’m not going to be expending any energy trying to convert other people to my own religion. Let people worship what they want to worship, even if they’re all wrong and going to Gre’thor when they die (Klingon Hell for those not versed in Star Trek mythology). Everyone has his or her own religious beliefs, and I think that’s wonderful. What is not wonderful is when some moron thinks that his or her own religious beliefs should be worshipped by everyone, including those who aren’t of that particular faith.

I’m fortunate that I live in a society where I don’t have to worry about such things. But that may not always be the case. It doesn’t take much for a lot of stupid people to start forcing their values and norms on everyone else. It also doesn’t take a lot of time either. Mobs of stupid people have been known to destroy the very foundations of enlightened societies, but unfortunately people don’t take lessons from history or psychology. They take lessons from their own hearts, and as comforting as it may be to them, it’s not all that comforting to people who are not them. Just imagine being told that your very livelihood (and sometimes even your life) depends upon bowing down to a religious entity you don’t believe in. And then imagine forcing someone else into that same paradigm. That’s why I don’t push my own religious values on others. Unfortunately, there are way too many people who don’t feel the same way.

Vasily Boiko is one of them, and things in Russia just got really crappy for a lot of people who were probably minding their own business until this ultimatum came upon them. It’s amazing how one powerful, shitty person can ruin the days of so many.

(image: from Startrek.com)