A Fight Without Rules

I am a man behind the times. I rarely use the Internet. I react to almost nothing in particular. I read books. It’s difficult to rattle me, but it’s possible.

There will be a march for the protection of children. People will go out (that is a good thing in itself — they need to go out into the streets to defend their position); they are outraged that children are dying overseas. One can argue with this outrage: Children die in general — it’s cynical, but it’s true, unfortunately. In Russia they die with their birth families, and in their adopted families.

Here, we can influence the situation; there, in the U.S., we can’t. And that’s the whole conversation. People don’t want to be powerless. However, just what kind of reaction do they have?

“On his own of course, he cannot think of anything. If there were a march against scoundrels, that means there needs to be a march of scoundrels.” *

Why “scoundrels?” If he were in Moscow, he would have come. The prohibition against adoptions by foreigners — go out into the streets, ask — is supported by practically everyone. No sociology needed.

I don’t understand what is behind this fashion of calling our own fellow citizens “scoundrels.” For three years, I trained in the U.S. and there, too, not everyone agrees with everything; there are polar opposite points of view, but there is not this hurling of words, well, not as much. We are one nation, we need to know how to agree with each other. If the majority of your country wants a dark-skinned president, but you’re a racist, give in. That’s democracy. If the majority comes out in favor of a luxury tax, give in; such is the authority of the people.

Many more people are against American adoptions than are for Obama. Give in. Seek a compromise.

Here is an answer in the same spirit: “The trampling on the history of three-year-old Maksim, the ‘smearing’ of his ill birth mother is simply heinous. Be quiet. Shut up. Stop. You show yourselves to be complete curs…” **

Thus are fights without rules.

*Translator’s Note: In Jan. there was a “March Against Scoundrels” in Moscow to protest the anti-Magnitsky law, which banned U.S. adoptions of Russian children. Then there was a march scheduled for March 2 for the protection of children — calling for the return of Kyrill, younger brother of dead Maksim, to Russia. The organizer was Sergei Kurginyan, who campaigned to keep Russian families together. The two marches had opposite goals regarding the fate of Russian children. Kurginyan is the “he” referred to in this sentence and the next; Malgin seems to be in the camp of those opposing the anti-Magnitsky law.

**Translator’s Note: The blogger, Eduard Limonov, is offended by those who argue that many more children die in dysfunctional families in Russia, while “only” 20 have died in the U.S.