Microbusiness (w/ pics)

Every corner throughout Russia—from the countryside to the cities—yields a thriving micro-business. Villagers sell fruits and vegetables and веник reeds along the sides of roads. Trinket salespeople crowd city sidewalks, battery-powered furry creatures beep and walk in every direction. Cart vendors sell everything from beer to ice cream and magazines to souvenirs. But it isn't what they sell that is surprising, it is the sheer quantity of businesses that overwhelms me. Everywhere, mini-buses, amateur taxis, hustlers on trains; there is an entire class of people that eek out a living as a sole proprietor, conducting every element of business from sales to service on his or her own and without outside support for inevitably minuscule business ventures.

I think that the capability of an individual to construct such a micro-business might impact that person's proclivity for a democratic governmental transition, and in new democracies, might impact the degree of content with democratic government. Imagine yourself in the situation: on Wednesday the communist government provides every element of life for you, from health care to living space all the way to your daily diet. On Thursday the new capitalist democracy gains a foothold and you are on your own. Maybe the company you work for collapses; maybe you had worked for a government agency that no longer exists. Now you need to find money to provide for your family. If you can make something, sell something, grow something you are not in a terrible circumstance. If you can not and rely on finding a job, perhaps the economy is slow to start and your family starves to death in the mean time. I think that a strong micro-business economy will help predict Democratic Proclivity, and I think that Russia has this particular platform for democratic success.

Even just a hundred years ago this was likely not a serious problem because of the infrastructure of economies—worldwide, small agricultural enterprises made up a majority of the world superpowers' economies. Every Joe and Jane had a small farm and they could sell what they produced and make a sustainable income. As the world became more industrialized and infrastructure complicated, people more and more rely on local, national, and inter-national cooperation for their sustenance. Corporatization has cost the private sector its individual independence. Obviously not terrible, but post-fascist and post-communist nations will inevitably struggle (at least initially) to maintain their economic strength and stability. In the meantime, micro-businesses can fill the gaps.

Discussing a Dream (w/ pics)

Definitely in St. Petersburg, and across the country that I have seen, Russians certainly enjoy much freedom. I did not feel suppressed in any way nor have I noticed any others exhibiting signs of suppressed freedom. Granted, I have not seen any demonstrations against popular political parties but if there is really any suppression of freedom it is not overt. Neither am I surprised that there are no demonstrations against the political culture--Russians in general seem happy with life and freely talk about political affairs. Of course life here is much different from America, but I see lots of smiling people, hear plenty laughter, witness many small kindnesses as Russian tourists visit the palaces that only a few years ago housed the super-elite and no common man had the pleasure of visiting. I also feel less pressure from police here than in America.
One note regards the role of [transliterated] babushkas (old women, lit. grandmothers). In the USSR babushkas played a special role—to watch what was going on and report anything interesting. They are still prevalent around Russia—I have never seen so many old women. They are quick to criticize and you must lend them your ear. They yell at strangers like it is nothing—I sense that though their role has changed, they feel a social responsibility to keep things culturally whole. I suppose that they are quite conservative, but I am not sure.
My companions and I happened upon a political conversation in Saint Petersburg. So as not to contaminate DPS scores I stayed quiet but curious. One girl said that life in the USSR was unimaginable. She was too young to remember herself, but her parents (originally from Kazakhstan and the Ukraine) tell her stories frequently. She talked about how they were issued food cards once every month. They would exchange these for a few groceries—only the bare essentials.
Another girl said that she liked many things about the USSR (although she was not old enough to remember either). Families did not have too lock their doors—the neighborhood was safe. Young people lied together in communal flats. School was free. Housing was free—although cramped (up to four families would live in flat like the one we were staying in St. Petersburg. Scientists were issued cars and private housing. I swear the very next sentence was "People were equal."
The conversation carried on more in accelerated Russian so I did not understand much. The tone was intense, excited, but not angry. What was definitely apparent was a confidence in these young people to talk about political topics without fear to argue and disagree. I was not surprised at the girl's remarks about the equality of people in the Soviet Union, nor am I surprised about her admiration of the communist government. Clearly there are benefits to any socialist system (namely free things), but I think that those who know Democracy and live under Communist Socialism know that the benefits are but smoke and mirrors written in the wind and swift rivers…
Of course this illustrates the impetus for Operation Civil Elixir and future missions of the same kind—Russian young people should know Democracy in its best form and pine for its institution everywhere. Without this foundation of support, Democracy in Russia teeters on the brink of icy cliffs.
I know I mentioned micro-business in the last post, but I promise to get to it tomorrow.

Dead Fish... and Art (w/ pics)

Cold, dry, dead fish. Seemingly rotten and smelling of a hot day at the dock, this tasty Russian snack goes well with warm beer. Next time you see a dead fish on the road, don't think of it as trash--instead think "Fish Jerky." Like potato chips, salty, and yet probably somewhat healthier. Maybe.

If you can believe it after reading that vignette things are much better than they were in the previous post. I would stop short of describing my acculturation as adapting, but I am finding some kind of balance. Last night I cooked my specialty for the whole household--BBQ shrimp. Despite their negative expectations at the supermarket, everyone liked it very much. I had to make some significant ingredient adaptations, but it worked fairly well.

I've been thinking about a possible additional consideration for the DPM: art. It seems that art might be an indicator of the level of freedom that people enjoy. St. Petersburg's Church of The Savior on the Blood was shut down throughout Communism's stronghold on the area. The Church with its magnificent artwork went uncared for and deteriorated to the point that it had to undergo major restoration. As a warehouse, its marble faded and the beautiful artwork lost its luster. Without freedom, I think that art is stifled and people are less likely to pride themselves in the talents and treasures of their own people. Russian people seem to treasure even their Imperial era much more so than Sovietka.

I am sorry for the long delay between posts--it was difficult to get to internet in Saint Petersburg. Now I am in a little town in Russia's southern region and I have regular internet access. This post is also somewhat outdated. Next post will address Russia's micro-business economy which flourishes and my thoughts about region-specific operatives in future missions to condense the acculturation process.

Am I Breaking Down?

Living conditions may represent my biggest challenge and likely struck me as the biggest difference from the West. Most kverteerya (flats) comprise rooms none of which much bigger than an American bathroom. Bedrooms, kitchen, hallway each no more than 80 square feet. All the windows are barred with steel, like most other windows around th city. Exposed plumbing and heating fixtures jut from the plaster walls; I showered with the space heater. My flat is housed in a rather dilapidated old green building. Walk through the street entrance into a parking-lot/courtyard, pass through the graffiti-covered and broken-down entranceway, turn the giant key in the antique deadbolt four full turns to the right, push the door gently and you're in. As you might imagine the hallways are narrow. Very narrow. There are clothes hanging from every exposed surface to dry. The bathtub doubles as the clothes-washing basin. The kitchen has no room for a pantry--groceries are bought daily from the market. A tiny sink, stove, and table round it out. I understand this flat is nice.

Nearly everything is different from the West in Russia: from the people to the architecture to the fauna to the food, I realize with every passing second that this place is barely short of a whole other world. It is bright outside all day and night long. St. Petersburg's "white nights" have kept me going on something like 8 hours of sleep in the past 72 hours. And today is just beginning [well it was when I began the first part of this post]. Fortunately alcohol is ever-plentiful. Beer and wine are comparatively priced (perhaps slightly more) than America. Last night even my Russian companions and I shared a steaming beer to prevent catching cold. It would have been better with honey, they told me. Vodka, however, is very inexpensive. But be prepared to drink at least half a bottle. Moving on to the people--not that this is particularly surprising, but for instance, women don't react similarly to situations in the same way that American women react to similar situations. Last night we walked for hours in the rain without umbrellas just to make the most of the night. We weren't alone. Hygiene and house cleaning is different. I can't quite describe it correctly, but perhaps it is that the purpose is not health, sanitation, or cleanliness, but rather proper working order.

Fortunately for me I am still in good health (although I am not sure how long that will last with the extremely high sodium content in all the food). My spirit is tempted to fade however. It is very difficult for me to stay positive in the face of so much social stress especially with the food choices available. I realize that the operational goals of the mission are dependent on my acculturation and happy companionship, but with very few comforts of the West I am constantly tempted to jump ship: shell it out on a Western-style hotel (even though I still can not be sure how Western it is). I'm staying strong, however, for now. For now.

St. Petersburg: The Setting (w/ pics)

Bristling like an ancient snake shedding its withered and crumbling skin, Russia sheds Sovietka as if the rock of its stubbornly devoted people grabbed it whole--the new nation borne, continuing to birth itself years after its democratic turn. The traces are omnipresent--from monstrous soviet era military equipment adopted for construction use to every babushkas in most every dom, to St. Petersburg's plethora of museums to Moscow's bare bones function only airport.
Russia surprising, at least, chocking perhaps at times. The first part of the mission is to acculturate and this will take some time. I had expected Moscow's airport to be over-engineered and technologically advance; instead I was greeted with bare concrete facades surrounding rickety ancient escalators in an un-air conditioned facility. The pattern held true as my companions picked me u from the similarly accommodated St. Petersburg airport. Minivans rigged to cram a dozen people are ubiquitous--tiny seats cram in every direction, each occupied by strangers like hitchhikers, picked up along the way. These seats enclose standing room for even more. Add this to rainy overcast driving conditions--not to mention stripe-less roads ans reckless drivers--and Geico mustn't have let the door hit them in the face on the way out.

People walk in Russia. Far. Women dress themselves in clothing too sexy for American streets. Everyone seems to hustle--bargaining is a way of life--and tiny businesses cram every nook. Lone babushkas selling bunched flowers and berries or vegetables beg for customers in St. Petersburg. Open-air markets are everywhere, and with ware ranging from unidentifiable vegetables to American sunglasses, the city reminds me of a giant farmers' and Flea market.

Please forgive any spelling errors as I have little time to type! I will post more about the setting, hopefully later today.

Mission Anxiety Through the Roof

A frantic day preparing every last minute detail and overcoming several major obstacles only prefaced the tension at dinner tonight. Sitting down to eat with my parents at the table, I could hardly look them in the eye. My father was silent, and the silence spoke quite loudly from a man like my father. His voice usually audible over his roaring boat engine on fishing trips, the glimmer of his eye was pale and the blank glare beat down my enthusiasm and optimism like Freddie Mac beats down its slight lobbying competitors on Capitol Hill. My mom, shielding her grave concerns in a comforting pretense of supportive concern, finalized her understanding of the details of my whereabouts. Her biggest challenge was overcoming the broken English Google translation of the Russian itinerary I had emailed her. My parents are not happy with me, and perhaps I can understand why.
Operation Civil Elixir has its dangers. "What if someone stops me while I am on the computer?" "What if the participants report the research to the government?" "What if I am being watched the whole time?!" All of these questions and many more were thrown about tonight and for the past while. All these questions were asked under the pretense that encouraging a group of young people to decide as a group--democratically--how best to support local orphans with money from caring people is not only illegal, but dangerous and potentially deadly for an American. It may not be, depending on how Russian law enforcement interprets the new law, but it very well may be. Which brings me to what is more important than the dangers: the benefits.
True: I still do not have a outlet for publishing the massive amounts of knowledge and data that I am collecting. True: My methodology is brand new and unproven and my theory might not work. True: I am working this mission with very little fiduciary resources and no outside government or institutional support. But I am confident, and I believe just naive enough, to put everything on the line--my financial stability, my safety, my credibility, my time--trusting in myself that I can make it happen. And I can. My theory will work and I will find a publisher and lives will be saved and lives will be improved and nations will change. The implications of Operation Civil elixir reach far beyond my comparatively insignificant problems ad insufficiencies. If I can prove that it is possible for trained professionals to infiltrate the minds of citizens of countries on the brink of Democracy; if I can prove that those citizens can participate and institutionalize local Deliberative Democracy programs; if I can prove that these citizens then crave freedom for themselves more intensely than any craving instituted at the point of bayonet; then the world's destined concourse to freedom for all will be paved with intellects and enthusiasm instead of bodies and fear.
I wish I could name all of the people that have begun to pave that concourse with me (like "anonymous" who commented on a previous post), but for now it must suffice to mention that they have been many, and hopefully more to come. If you believe that people can live together in friendship, if you believe that we can show those who are living in fear to live with hope, if you want to see me come out of this safe, if you believe in Democracy and want to save the lives of those who protect it: Support this mission. Please leave a comment. Not too much to ask, right? And if you don't, please let me know why--I'll do my best to respond (or even maybe reconsider!). If you have a question, please ask--I would love to explain. Hope to hear from you soon.

The Fun Part: Guessing...

Only a few days to the mission go-ahead. The tension is building. Today I made at least one important decision—I will not bring the money for the orphans with me to Russia. First of all, I do not have it yet. Secondly, I think this will benefit the research methodologically. In the practice of Democracy, people do not recognize immediate results. Even if policy is immediately changed, any results will necessarily take time to surface. Now my lack of preparedness has a purpose. Or am I just rationalizing? Comments are welcome.

 

Item 2: Without having the Democratic Propensity Model set up, and without extensive political science research on Democratization, I have guessed some factors that should be important in predicting Democratic Proclivity scores. To accompany the DPS, I’ll look at: age, gender, ethnicity, level of education, religion (type and level of affiliation), occupation, income, and projected income. Also, to compare my results with the established Pew Center’s under-thought global survey on Democratic attitudes, I am including some of the items that Pew Global and the IRI used.

Preparing the DPS

I am spending the remainder of my Saturday preparing the Democratic Proclivity Scale for use in Russia. I am having it translated to Russian and another source will be translating it back to check for accuracy. I also need to finalize the layout for ease of printing. I can’t risk bringing physical copies to Russia, so I am storing a pdf on Google Docs to print while I am there. One remaining question is how I shall transport the data back.

Advice will be appreciated! Consider these problems: 1) My security and data protection—I can’t transport physical copies across the border 2) There will be a large volume of data in the form of Likert scale and multiple choice responses 3) Access to technology—I will not have my own laptop for security reasons.

Operation Civil Elixir Relevant Political Climate

From YaleGlobal

(http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/display.article?id=6607): In 2006, The Russian Federation began enforcing a law that many diplomats (including the U.S. Secretary of State) fear will strangle Russian Civil Society, enabling Putin to retain more political control than ever and reinventing Russia's old authoritarian regime. Already suffering from a declining independent press, Russia's democracy seems to grow ever frailer.
"The bill will have three primary effects. First, it will limit Russian citizens’ constitutional right to create unregistered but formalized civil society groups (those with statutes and governing bodies): registration authorities will have to be notified in all cases. The order of such notification will be regulated by the decree of the federal Government and not by law, while the list of reasons for refusal are ample and unclear.
Secondly, the bill will tighten controls over all existing Russian NGOs. The government will be able to exercise more control over NGOs’ work and expenditure, and will be able to ask any organization to provide any documentation at any time. In addition, each of the hundreds of thousand of existing NGOs will have to re-register with the authorities. Given the high level of corruption in Russia, this proposition will leave ample space for abuse. It will also immediately paralyze the work of thousands of charity, cultural, youth, social, human rights, environmental and other organizations.
Thirdly, particularly tough measures will be applied to foreign NGOs operating in Russia. The bill outlaws affiliates of foreign NGOs, and requires existing organizations to re-register as exclusively Russian, which may prove legally impossible. At the same time, foreign citizens who are not permanent residents of the Russian Federation will not be able to become founders or members of Russian NGOs."
"In a letter to the speaker of the State Duma, US Congressman Chris Smith - chairman of the US Helsinki Commission - said the planned new law 'would have a chilling effect on civil society in the Russian Federation...and seriously undermine the rights of individuals in Russia to freedom of association.'”

From Eurasia Daily Monitor (http://www.jamestown.org/edm/article.php?article_id=2372897): U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates met with President Vladimir Putin and president-elect Dmitry Medvedev. They also met with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov. But in response to the new NGO regulations, Condoleezza Rice met with Russia’s liberal intelligentsia--"critics" of the Putin administration on March 18. Reportedly, these delegates were handpicked by the Russian Foreign Ministry...

From the U.S. Department of State
( http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1006.html#entry_requirements): "The Government of Russia does not recognize the standing of the U.S. diplomatic mission to intervene in visa matters, including situations in which an American is stranded because of an expired visa. U.S. citizens should also be aware that Russian immigration and visa laws change regularly, and the implementation of new regulations has not always been transparent or predictable. The Russian visa system includes a number of provisions that may be unfamiliar to Americans, including: Sponsorship, Entry Visas, Limitations on Length of Stay, Exit Visas, Migration Cards, Visa Registration, Transit Visas, Restricted Areas...
Travelers should ensure that their visas reflect intended activities in Russia (e.g., tourism, study, business, etc.)...
In October 2007, the Russian government made significant changes to its rules regarding the length of stay permitted to most foreign visitors. For any visa issued on or after October 18, 2007, unless that visa specifically authorizes employment or study, a foreigner may stay in Russia only 90 days in any 180-day period. This applies to business, tourist, humanitarian and cultural visas, among other categories...
U.S. citizens should be aware that Russian police officers have the authority to stop people and request their identity and travel documents at any time, and without cause. Due to the possibility of random document checks by police, travelers should carry their original passports, migration cards, and visas with them at all times...
Acts of terrorism, including bombings and hostage taking, have occurred in Russia over the last several years. Bombings have occurred at Russian government buildings, hotels, tourist sites, markets, entertainment venues, schools, residential complexes, and on public transportation including subways, buses, trains, and scheduled commercial flights. Hostage-taking incidents have included a raid on a school that resulted in horrific losses of life of children, teachers, and parents...
There is no current indication that American institutions or citizens are targets, but there is a general risk of American citizens being victims of indiscriminate terrorist attacks. American citizens in Russia should be aware of their personal surroundings and follow good security practices. Americans are urged to remain vigilant and exercise good judgment and discretion when using any form of public transportation. When traveling, Americans may wish to provide a friend, family member, or coworker a copy of their itinerary. Americans should avoid large crowds and public gatherings that lack enhanced security measures. Travelers should also exercise a high degree of caution and remain alert when patronizing restaurants, casinos, nightclubs, bars, theaters, etc., especially during peak hours of business...
It is not uncommon for foreigners in general to become victims of harassment, mistreatment and extortion by law enforcement and other officials. Police do not need to show probable cause in order to stop, question or detain individuals. If stopped, travelers should try to obtain, if safe to do so, the officer’s name, badge number, and patrol car number, and note where the stop happened, as this information assists local officials in identifying the perpetrators. Authorities are concerned about these incidents and have cooperated in investigating such cases. Travelers should report crimes to the U.S. Embassy or the nearest Consulate General...