Change; What Change?

Tomorrow is Russia's big day where citizens are being strenuously urged to exercise their mandate to cast their vote in an election everyone appears to know the outcome of. No stress of guessing, hoping that one candidate will win out over another. The voting, the polling, the count and the outcomes have been foreordained. The theatre of holding the presidential vote is a self-serving sop to the expectations of fairness evinced by onlookers from outside the country.

This is democracy in the new "managed" style adapted to Russia's vision of herself and her needs. President Vladimir Putin's old friend and colleague, Dmitry Medvedev, currently deputy prime minister, has been gravely selected and anointed. No one has expectations other than the anticipated outcome, and no one, other than a paltry few would-be political opponents whose chances to compete have long since been ruled out, really minds.

In fact, Vladimir Putin's choice is Russia's choice. Russians acutely remember the political and economic failures of the 1990s. Their deep resentment of the oligarchs taking full advantage of the collapse of the U.S.S.R. to enrich themselves in the collapse of the country's state enterprise. Russians passionately appreciate their growing economic prospects, the growing middle class, their opportunities to acquire goods so long denied them.

They see it as being in their best interests to support Mr. Putin and his obvious intentions to remain on the scene as the puppet-master. Their national pride has been restored, thanks to Mr. Putin's belligerence against an unfair West, and their newly exploited gas and oil resources. The population has been complicit through its quiet acceptance of a truncation of press freedom and the independence of their parliament.

They're not clamouring for transparency, fairness and accountability. They've proven themselves comfortable with relinquishing what others in the West term "freedom". The freedoms they have traditionally experienced have been the freedom to suffer, to live in want and with privations they no have no wish to re-visit.

They do not, in point of fact, wish their much-admired and -supported Vladimir Putin to retire to the sidelines, just as he has no intention of so doing. They would accept, gladly, a change in the Russian constitution that would allow him to be re-elected beyond the constitutionally accepted two terms. But no need for that, since Mr. Medvedev appears to share Mr. Putin's agenda, ready to coast on the coattails of his mentor's strengths.

Mr. Putin will continue to rule Russia. It would be nice if his belligerence could be toned down somewhat by the intervention of a president whose style might have a calming effect on the incoming prime minister, but don't count on it. Russians, after all, don't seem to mind; they relish his putting the boots to other countries, welcome the return of Russia reborn, unbound.

Bears, after all, often exhibit symptoms of ill humour. Best to step lightly away from their tracks,on their grounds.