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Russian Whistleblower Cop Arrested
Remember the Russian cop's YouTube narrative on police corruption? Reader Max_W writes with the news that Alexei Dymovsky, the cop whose videos started a movement, was arrested (Google translation; Russian original) on January 22, 2010. He is in prison in the south of Russia. Max_W adds: "It seems only a president is allowed to have a video blog in Russia."
Seriously, was anyone really surprised? Mess with bad cops, and you'll come to a bad end. This is unfortunately true everywhere, including the United States.
Did he lessen the status of corrupt bosses or the supposed glory of the state. Frankly regardless of which nation does this sort of thing the truth is that human history is dark and wicked and anyone foolish enough to actually believe that any nation's history is glorious needs a mental health professional and a lot of appointments.
While I do generally agree with your statement, this is something that really caught my eye
is remarkable proof that good people who think and act like Westerners still live in Russia.
possible eventual escape from Russia to the West. For the sake of humanity, we must not allow the Kremlin to kill him. The Kremlin has already killed too many innocent people.
Can I borrow your time machine back to cold war? Being someone who has actually lived in Russia and some time in the neighboring countries too, I don't see this "Western vs Russia" thing or rant about 'Kremlin'. People in Russia are extremely good people and friendly towards another human being. Even more than in western countries or my own country, where people usually are careless about each other. There is corruptness (sometimes bad too), but you do not change everything in a few days after fallen communism. It is getting there and this is another example about it.
But should you think "Westerners" as better persons for some reason? No. In fact, they're losing on that regard.
I'm sure you're right, but it's also true that most whistle-blowers have petty and selfish motives, and that they are often driven by personal grudges (which they tend to have a lot of, since they are generally quarrelsome and problematic people). Deep Throat apparently exposed Watergate because he was bitter about losing a promotion.
It takes an unreasonable person to go up against the system and against the culture of one's organization. These people may not be personally admirable in the way we might like for a Hollywood good-guy/bad-guy story, but that doesn't make whatever revelations they provide less important. Nor does it make it OK to persecute them for it.
Now maybe Dymovsky was arrested for some other shit he was involved in, but given Russia's history with internal critics, that would not be my first guess.
I don't know if there was an extended YouTube version I didn't see, but the one I did wasn't anything of the sort.
Basically his rants aren't about the bad Russian cops but about the bad Russian government that doesnt pay its cops and Mr. Dymovsky in particular enough money.
From what I remember, he was pointing out that the latter led to the former. I also don't remember him singling himself out for a pay rise above and beyond anybody else.
Major Dymovsky had a habit of not coming into work for weeks at a time
Something to do with suffering from stress, and the breakdown leading to the confession on video as he couldn't take it any more?
there were numerous complaints about him basically alleging he himself was extorting various businesses for money before he put anything on Youtube
That was his whole point, wasn't it? He couldn't afford not to, and in fact would be ostracized by his colleagues if he didn't.
Yulia Latynina who is easily the best credentialed opposition journalist in Russia has dismissed Dymovsky as a fraud on her radio show and in editorials.
Fair enough.
His complaint isnt with the system but with his own place in it -- he is no opponent of the Kremlin, but a guy who was trying to secure his own position.
By saying he can't take it any more, and will quite happily quit. Obviously has designs on Putins job (not).
His own ex-wife has called him mentally unbalanced. He had a messy divorce involving death threats and other assorted stories fit only for the tabloids
So he is a Russian Tiger Woods. Big deal. This has nothing to do with anything. I don't know how authentic the video appeal is, but I find the Anonymous Coward posting very unconvincing.
Phillip.
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