Is the
United States headed toward civil war under a
'communist'
President Barack Obama?
Edward Topol: 'America on the Verge of a
Civil War' (Argumenty i Facty, Russia)
"In America,
95 percent of the population is historically accustomed to living how they like,
no matter what's happening in government. For a long time, Americans couldn’t
believe that they in fact elected a communist, and that Obama seriously planned
to build socialism out of capitalism. But they are slow to place blame - they
are a very trusting people."
Interview with Edward Topol*
Translated By Casey Patrick Reilly
August 28, 2012
Russia
- Argument y Facty - Original Article (Russian)
Argumenty i Facty interviews famed
Russian novelist, former Communist Party apparatchik and part time U.S.
resident Edward Topol, conducted by Sergei Grachev.
Argumenty i Facty: Edward Vladimirovich, with the approach of autumn, discussions are
beginning again about the future of the [Russian] protest movement, and whether
in some way they have altered our society and government. What do you think
about this?
Edward Topol:
My sense is that society is living through a time of birth - and not only in
Moscow. The question is whether to allow that birth or have an abortion. I don't
think it feasible to suppress the protests, because for the first time in
Russian history, a generation has appeared that was not instilled with a fear
of authority. The authorities understand this and will now try to instill this
fear, but it is unlikely to succeed. Although courage has not yet fully taken
hold, it is nevertheless inherent in the new generation of 20 to 30 year olds. For
people to have taken to the streets en masse, they really must have been provoked.
Argumenty i Facty: And isn’t an
overbearing bureaucracy a part of the reason?
Edward Topol:
Absolutely. In Russia, history has molded us in such a way that the officer cannot
serve both society and ruler at the same time. To remain on the throne, these so-called
servants of the people will stop at nothing. The power of delicious bread - it
is an old story. Again, the appetite comes with the eating. If you "skimmed
off" a million rubles today, then tomorrow you will want to "skim
off" five million, and the next day - ten. It's like a drug. The system of
bureaucracy squeezes honest and intelligent people out of its ranks, or transforms
them under its influence. And servants of the ruler keep trying to top themselves
pleasing him even more than he expects them to. Zealous and kissing ass, they have
finally gone too far, having gotten carried away with repressive measures.
Naturally, people are angry. This provokes them.
Argumenty i Facty: Have you read
the open letter to President Makarevich [Putin] about
how kickbacks in the country have risen by up to 95 percent, and that something
must be done about it?
Edward Topol:
I read it, and generally speaking, Putin's response to the letter didn’t
surprise me. The president said that society must democratize itself and that businesses
are to blame - and there is no need to pay bribes. But if they’re not paid,
many businesses would close overnight! They wouldn't be given work to do! I
think that even if the president tried to radically change the situation, nothing
would happen. The pyramid of corruption has solidified. This is no secret. And
if anyone really tried to shake up that pyramid, it would sweep them away.
I remember when I was about 20, I worked as a journalist
for the newspaper Baku Worker, and
had the opportunity to read the transcripts of speeches of party leaders before
they were censored and edited. And somehow, the editor received a transcript of
a conversation Khrushchev has with some miners in Donbass.
The miners were very unhappy about something. And Khrushchev told them, "Give
me the name of whatever minister you're unhappy with, and I'll fire him from
his post tomorrow! But you know, I can’t dismiss the whole ministry!" That
is, he was telling them that, in fact, he couldn’t do anything about the
bureaucratic pyramid.
Americans Cannot
Imagine Bread Lines
Argumenty i Facty: As you live
in two countries, Russia and the United States, it would be interesting to know
what people in the U.S. think and say about what's happening with us?
Posted by Worldmeets.US
Edward Topol:
America isn't concerned with Russia at the moment. It is wholly absorbed in its
own problems. And the main issue of concern to Americans is, will Obama remain in
the White House? For the United States - in the literal sense of the word - this
is a matter of life and death. Today, finally, many people have woken up to the
fact that that a second Obama term marks the end of the United States - or at
least the end of what the U.S. has been for the past 200 years. Now people are saying
openly that the White House has fallen under the control of communists. And in
view of the Russian experience, these people will not give up their power in a
democratic way. The situation there is far more tragic than in Russia. In the
next few months, dramatic changes are coming to the U.S. People are stocking up
with food and weapons. I'm not kidding - not exaggerating!
SEE ALSO ON THIS:
Argumenty i Facty, Russia:
Edward Topol: 'America on the Verge of a Civil War'
Nezavisimaya Gazeta, Russia:
Espousing Theory of U.S. Demise Damages Russia
Komsomolskaya Pravda, Russia:
Support of Anti-Putin U.S. for Pussy Riot 'Disgusting'
Rue 89, France:
How U.S. Civil War Defines the South, and Perhaps One Day, Europe
China Daily, China:
Predictions of Western Decline are 'Presumptuous'
Al Watan, Oman:
Paul the 'Octopus Oracle' Could Do Worlds for Obama
The Star, Malaysia:
Let's Hope a Risen China is More Responsible than U.S.
Le Figaro, France:
Can Obama Avoid the 'Carter Syndrome?'
A man living in Russia might be thinking, but how could
this happen to America! ... And when you
see your neighbors, friends and acquaintances buying boxes of food for a rainy
day, stocking up on rifles, shotguns, pistols, it’s frightening. Sadly, a civil
war is likely to occur in the U.S. Obama signed
a decree on March 16 according to which, in case of emergency, which he himself
may declare, the government has the right to deprive the population of weapons,
food, vehicles, and so on.
[Editor's Note: Mr. Topol refers
to an executive order called National
Defense Resources Preparedness which, according to some, puts the United
States on a "war footing."]
Argumenty i Facty: That is even stricter
than all of our new prohibitions! And how did Americans respond to this decree?
Edward Topol:
They didn’t respond at all! Even if they stepped in shit - the inert majority
wouldn’t smell it! People in Russia are used to monitoring every new step taken
by power, being aware of all the new laws, because your everyday existence is
directly dependent on this power. In America, 95 percent of the population is
historically accustomed to living how they like, no matter what's happening in government.
For a long time, Americans couldn’t believe that they in fact elected a
communist, and that Obama seriously planned to build socialism out of
capitalism. But they are slow to place blame - they are a very trusting people.
Argumenty i Facty: Not more
trusting than the Russians, surely ...
Edward Topol:
What are you talking about? They are much more trusting than us at times! They’ve
hardly even had a taste of life [in Russian terms]! When I moved to America 30
years ago, the first thing I did was find my aunt, who was born and raised
there. We had a long conversation, I told her about the war [WWII], which occurred
during my childhood, about hunger, about the bread coupons and the eternal
Soviet deficit. She listened to me, and said, "You think you are the only
one who suffered? We also suffered greatly. There were times when we were
forced to make do with only one chicken.”
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Do you understand the gap in perceptions - of what it
means to live in poverty? Another example: in the early 1980s, when the U.S.
unemployment rate, inflation and bankruptcies were close to Great Depression
levels, I saw how fights broke out among Americans waiting in line for
gasoline. They don’t know what lines are really like - or what it means to have
numbers stamped on your hand in indelible ink. They can't imagine the
possibility of standing in a bread line all day! They just can't wrap their
heads around it! In this sense, of course, Russians adapted to the difficulties.
By the way, the other day it was reported that George
Soros is buying gold. This is a very accurate indicator of impending disaster.
It is known that Soros initially finances actions like riots and "Occupy
Wall Street," which turn into revolutions, and then buys gold, the price
of which soars to the heavens during revolts and civil wars. Thus, the second
phase is already underway.
*Edward Topol is a former member of the Communist Party and
journalist/writer in the Soviet system, and now is a novelist, screenwriter and
essayist. He has lived on and off in the United States for 30 years.
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