Vladimir Putin recently signed into law a ban on 'obscene language' in arts, cultural entertainment, and similar 'events' in Russia. In addition, another law was passed recently, banning any obfuscation of the Soviet Union's role in World War II. Disputing the 'historical record' of the Soviet Union's achievements against Nazi Germany in World War II can result in up to five years in prison.
As it follows with Putin's recent diatribes against the US, Europe, and the west in general, Putin has sought to create a Russian-only Internet, as he claimed that the 'Internet was a CIA-backed program,' created as a way to centralize the passage of information through the United States.
This new 'Kremlinet' would require bloggers who receive more than 3000 hits a day to register with the government as a source of 'mass media.' They would not, however, enjoy the same privileges as traditional journalists, i.e. press protections, anonymity, or criticism of the government.
All information within the self-contained Kremlinet would pass through Russia's security services, monitoring them for 'state security' reasons to ensure that the news is 'unbiased' and what is said is not detrimental to the country's cultural milieu.
This all comes as a backlash to several events, which must be taken into consideration when understanding Russia's current insurgency against the system of international law.
First, after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia was pushed to the side as an international actor. Even though it maintains a seat in the Security Council and still has the most atomic warheads in the world, its economic floundering post-collapse left it of little interest when the post-Soviet states erupted in conflict. In addition, with the collapse of the USSR, the US found the 1990s to be relatively threat-free in terms of tangible actors aiming for the destruction of the country.
Second, in the wake of the Snowden revelations, where the NSA was found to have access to the phone and e-mail records of billions of people (including Americans), in addition to the collapse of the Russia-friendly Ukrainian President Victor Yanukovich, Putin had a chance to expand on Russian influence. The US, at this point, had reached a new moral low in the international stage, especially when it was revealed to be spying on its traditional allies.
Putin seized the opportunity and began slinging accusations at the US, accusing it of ignoring international law and setting a precedent whereby he could act in the name of the 'persecuted Russians' living in the Ukraine.
Putin has openly stated that Russia has not been great since the collapse of the Soviet Union, and has raised rhetoric that is reminiscent of the typical Soviet-era propaganda: i.e. that NATO is expanding to its borders, and because it is an enemy, Russia must act to protect itself.
All of this has culminated in a control over the freedom of speech in Russia so as to control the patriotic rhetoric that Putin has espoused so readily. He has utilized World War II as his 'return to former glory' for Russia, and any questioning of what he determines is the country's history in the last Great War will not be tolerated. Whoever controls history controls the future.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
