“The Russian Federation – Russia is a democratic federative law-governed state with a republican form of government.” [Section One, Chapter 1, Article 1, Constitution of the Russian Federation.]

“Man, his rights and freedoms shall be the supreme value. The recognition, observance and protection of human and civil rights and freedoms shall be an obligation of the State.” [Id., at Article 2.]

And in case you don’t believe me, here it is:

I also like the mention of “free elections” in Article 3, paragraph 3. But that’s a whole different issue.

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Languages are funny things. The same word can carry six different nuances in six different languages. And in a language like Russian, where the same word means “floor” or “sex” (as in gender), and where the softening of the final letter of another word can change a “corner” into a lump of “coal” . . . well, you can see how it would be easy to get totally lost. And forget about verbs. A friend with whom I took language lessons from a tutor once excused herself to “drive” to the bathroom.

So I suppose the drafters of the Russian Constitution might be forgiven for not knowing the difference between a democracy and a republic, or the true meanings of “freedom” and “civil rights.” But they did get one thing right: Russia is indeed a “law-governed state.”

The only problem is: who makes the laws?

No, not that jackass — a different one!

Theoretically, it is not a jackass at all, but Parliament that makes the laws. Like the United States and a number of other countries, the Russian legislative body is bicameral, consisting of two houses. In Russia, they are called the Duma, or Federal Assembly (lower house), and the Federation Council (upper house). And, as in the U.S. Congress, new legislation must be approved by both houses before being submitted to the President for signature.

Sounds good, doesn’t it? But in Russia, the reality is that, if the President — who we all know has been Vladimir Putin for the past 24 years — wants a law passed . . . or even a Constitutional amendment . . . he just has it submitted to the Duma, and WHAM! it’s done. Something that can take weeks or months in Washington or London or New Delhi is accomplished in a matter of a few days or less in Moscow, depending on how quickly Putin wants it done.

Efficient, for sure . . . but hardly “democratic.”

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So why, I hear you ask, are you receiving this sudden, unsolicited lesson in Russian Civics 101? Well, simply because of my compulsion to share the news of a couple of laws that have been rammed through in Moscow during the past week — laws that are so outrageous, so antithetical to “civil rights,” that one can only . . .

The first, a bill banning “Childfree Propaganda,” zipped through the required three readings in the Duma and was passed on November 12th, to be handed on to the Federation Council for its rubber stamp and delivered to the Kremlin for Putin’s signature. No arguments, no amendments, no vetoes. Nice and neat. [RFE/RL, November 12, 2024.]

But wait . . . what is this “childfree propaganda” about? Well, you may remember the publicity regarding Putin’s “Year of the Family,” and his pronouncements as to the patriotic and spiritual responsibility of Russia’s young couples to procreate — not just once or twice, but over and over and over again, as many as eight or more times, presumably until the mother’s womb collapses. All of this is for the divine cause of rebuilding the depleted population of Mother Russia (largely due to the casualties caused by Putin’s war against Ukraine, though we’re not allowed — by yet another series of laws — to mention that).

And similarly, under the new legislation, you’re not permitted even to express any opposition to, or questioning of, Putin’s new baby factory idea, subject to huge fines. The government is offering financial and child-care assistance to ease some of the burden on the exhausted parents, and they are supposed to be grateful for that and shut the hell up.

A perfect example of Russian “freedom” and “civil rights” in action.

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And about those war casualties. For some reason that Putin apparently finds it impossible to comprehend, a lot of young adults are not happy about facing the possibility of conscription into the army to fight a war they don’t even understand, much less approve of. And in the nearly three years since the start of Russia’s “special military operation” — known everywhere outside of Russia as a “war” — a lot of draft-age men have chosen to leave their country rather than face the horrors being described by those who have served and survived. This mass exodus, of course, has contributed further to the population decline.

So now, “temporary measures” have been imposed by means of amendments to Russia’s law on military duty, including potential conscripts being banned from:

• leaving the country;
• driving and registering a vehicle;
• registering and selling real estate;
• receiving loans; or
• registering as a self-employed individual or entrepreneur. [RFE/RL, November 13, 2024.]

Their only option, then, would be to sneak out of the country, which in itself would be illegal and thus prevent them from ever returning without facing prosecution.

*. *. *

So that’s it, folks . . . the first, and hopefully the last, lecture on Russia’s legal system.

And now, having written it and read it over, I turn to glance once again at the day’s late headlines and take note of how my own (U.S.) government is shaping up as we look ahead to the next four years with a new administration.

And I feel the sudden, cold chill of trepidation, seeing how quickly and easily life can change.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
11/14/24