The "Russian" left- liberal scene - who are they?

 

Alik Bakhshi

 

The "Russian" left- liberal scene - who are they?

 

   The "Russian" left-liberal crowd refers to a group of former Echo of Moscow journalists who moved to America and work for the Dozhd TV channel. They're called "Russian" only because they broadcast in Russian and are composed primarily of Jews who analyze and condemn Russia's aggressive policy toward Ukraine. They all consider themselves true democrats, unbiased on political and human rights issues, something I had serious doubts about even back when they worked at Echo of Moscow, especially when they discussed Israel's position. Here, all the democratic veneer of rights and freedoms was instantly swept away. (1, 2, 3) The same can be said of their so-called "unbiased" view of Chechnya's aspirations for freedom, even though they never missed an opportunity to call Chechens Islamic terrorists. Apparently, the Islamic factor traditionally influences their perceptions when assessing events. For the same reason, the 30-year occupation of Karabakh by Armenians hasn't evoked condemnation from members of the left-liberal camp. Therefore, I have serious doubts about the sincerity of these pseudo-democrats who support Ukraine in its war with Russia. In the case of Ukraine, they define Russia as the aggressor and accuse it of occupation, while in the case of Azerbaijan, they perceive the liberation of the territories occupied by Armenia as an act of aggression. Incidentally, Azerbaijani political scientist Ramiz Yunus shares this opinion regarding the left-liberals' ambiguous approach to defining the aggressor.

 

So who are they, and what explains such a difference in their approach to identical situations? And here, in my opinion, the question lies far beyond ethnicity. As always, the answer lies in the question of whose money is supporting the television channel. As is well known, during the Yeltsin democracy, the media in Russia were in the hands of the oligarch Gusinsky. From his very first days in the Kremlin, Putin launched a campaign for complete control of the media, recognizing that freedom of speech was a potential threat to the dictator. Gusinsky had no choice but to seek refuge overseas. Incidentally, Putin imprisoned his rival, the oligarch Khodorkovsky, as a presidential candidate. Today, Khodorkovsky also runs an anti-Putin television channel. The oligarchs hiding from Putin rightly anticipate the end of Putin's rule, having foolishly planned to restore the Russian Empire to its former borders. The inevitability of Putin's plan's collapse is obvious. (4,5) Russia will find itself in a situation of political chaos, as it did during the collapse of the Russian Empire following its defeat in World War I, a situation exploited by a group of Jewish revolutionaries led by Lenin. It was the Jews, having seized power, who prevented Russia's disintegration. True, they failed to retain power then; the Georgian Stalin deceived them and became the leader of a new empire founded under the name of the USSR, the core of which was animal fear. (6)

 

Throughout the history of Rus', founded by the Varangian Ruriks, who incidentally gave it its name, and subsequently, Russia, foreigners ruled. Thus, under Catherine the Great, who couldn't speak two words of Russian, Russia achieved its greatest power. Stalin was the last of Russia's ethnically non-Russian rulers. This was due to the lack of initiative of the Russian people in both politics and economics. (7) After his death, Stalin's Soviet Union survived, so to speak, for another 80 years automatically, but the Russians who came to power ultimately destroyed the economy Stalin had created, leading to the partial disintegration of the empire. It seems Putin will finally consign the Russian Empire to oblivion, returning it to its original state – Muscovy. But here we must consider a very real possibility, which happened once in 1917 and could happen again. The fact is that the oligarchs funding the left-liberal clique are certainly not philanthropists; their goal is to oust Putin, which could happen if Russia loses the war with Ukraine. They support Ukraine not so much out of concern for the freedom of the Ukrainian people as out of a desire to destabilize the political situation in Russia and, in the wake of general chaos, undoubtedly taking advantage, as I said, of the Russian people's lack of initiative, to seize power. Just as in 1917, they are driven not by a desire to completely destroy the prison of nations, but by a desire to gain power while preserving the country as it is, with all its wealth belonging to the indigenous peoples of the Russian Empire, who were subjected to plunder throughout their time in the empire. It's hard to imagine them concerned about the fate of the Russian people. Khodorkovsky and other oligarchs have only one goal: a thirst for power and money, not freedom and democracy, which the Russian people, due to their mentality, do not need.

 

1. My response to journalist Yulia Latynina. https://alikbahshi.blogspot.com/2016/11/blog-post_87.html

2. My response to human rights activist E. Bonner

   https://alikbahshi.blogspot.com/2026/06/blog-post_28.html

3. My response to journalist L. Radzikhovsky.

  https://alikbahshi.blogspot.com/2016/11/blog-post_56.html

4. A Complete Asshole, or the Last War of the Russian Empire.

  https://alikbahshi.blogspot.com/2023/05/blog-post_15.html

5. The Empire of Lies on the Road to End. https://alikbahshi.blogspot.com/2025/01/blog-post_11.html

6. The Stalin Phenomenon. https://alikbahshi.blogspot.com/2016/10/blog-post_59.html

7. The People's Destiny, or To Each Cricket Its Own Hearth.

 https://alikbahshi.blogspot.com/2026/06/blog-post_20.html

 

01.07. 2026