Civilizational Difference.

A little piece of news this morning. Recall new Russian Constitution, which sets precedence of Russia's laws over international ones. It also defines marriage as that between the man and the woman. You know, the Article 72 Para G1. 

Under combined management of Russian Federation and its subjects are: defense of family, motherhood, fatherhood and childhood; defense of the institute of marriage as a union of a man and a woman; creation of the conditions for an appropriate upbringing of children within family and also for grown up children  carrying out their duty of providing care for their parents.  

This morning Vladimir Putin signed the Law on Constitutional amendments as applied to Family Code of Russian Federation (in Russian). Yep, about preserving a traditional family and telling others to go and screw themselves if they don't like it. Constitution of Russia trumps any international law if international law contradicts said Constitution. Sir Elton John got sad now. As I always say, when you have national security establishment such as Russia has, it is not difficult to tell others what you think about them. Speaking of which--I am considering writing about Russia's soft power which flies under the radar of many Western objective observers and I am not talking about such outlets as RT. In related news, as NYT reports, there is a sanction fatigue in D.C. No shit, pardon my French: 

An article in the New York Times, written by David Sanger, claimed on Wednesday that newly inaugurated President Joe Biden’s top aides think further restrictions on Russia may not be the way forward. “More than six years later, [the] sanctions regimen has failed in its one goal: to force Mr. Putin to reverse course, remove his forces and cease harassing a sovereign former Soviet state,” the article said, noting that economic restrictions had failed to achieve the US’ foreign policy goals.

At this stage, it is absolutely redundant discussing how those sanctions not only failed but exposed America's weakness vis-a-vis Russia. As per this Navalny (known in Russia as Analny and Sissyan, he DOES have tits) fellow, who is at the center of new West's Russo-phobic hysteria, today this jerk will be delivered to the court again to listen to another--more are coming--indictment on slandering the veteran of Great Patriotic War. And then, some time later, he will also be charged with being an intelligence asset of foreign state and that, folks, is a treason issue. So, all in all, he will spend a rather hefty time behind bars, which will allow him to learn a real trade, such as sowing, and, finally, will consummate his handle of Analny within penitentiary environment. 

Of course, many Ambassadors from Western counties, who attended his initial hearings in court are free to volunteer to join him in penitentiary and share experience of this uncompromising fighter with Putin's corruption and castles and backwardness of Russia, which, for some unknown reason, doesn't want Western-style "democracy". Ah, he is a millionaire? Never mind, then. As the old proverb goes--tell me who you friends are and I will tell who you are. West's propensity for extolling all kinds of Russian lowlifes is astonishing. Even when one makes an adjustment for cruel necessities of operations of influence, which, by default, require involvement of less than admirable human material. But the West outdid itself in this respect. Is it a competence issue only, or, maybe, it shows a civilizational difference between modern Russia and the West. I would say--both.    

It Would Produce A Shock In The West.

But in Russia, finally, another huge step is made away from globalism. For decades in Russia it was known to everyone that without ethnic Russians (Russkie, as opposed to Rossyane--merely Russia's citizens) there would be no Russia. It, finally, will be reflected in the Constitution. The Amendment by Putin and supported by Committee of Duma sounds like this:

"Государственным языком Российской Федерации на всей ее территории является русский язык как язык государствообразующего народа"

Translation: The State language  on all territory of Russian Federation is Russian (Russkii) language, the language of the State-founding people.  

For the first time, Russians (Russkie, not Rossiyane) are called what they really were and are in Russia's history--a state-founding people. This is huge. Russia has something like 100+ ethnicities populating it, but largest by far (around 80%) are Russians (Russkie), people of Russian ethnicity and culture. Well, Ravil Gainuddin, Russia's Chief Mufti, was against this amendment, but before he expressed his displeasure, he should have asked himself who, for a millennium held Russia together and how Russian state came into existence. Many ethnicities under Russia were not only preserved but were given an unprecedented access to education, healthcare, social status. Gainutdin, being Tatar has to recall how many Tatars, or Bashkirs advanced to the highest positions in historic Russia's institutes of power, science, culture and other crucial fields. Same goes for many peoples of Caucasus. Enough to recall Yunus Bek Evkurov, today a Deputy Minister of Defense of Russian Federation, he is Ingush. Scores of Azerbaijanis, Avars, Armenians, Jews and others live in Russia and their rights and cultures are reliably defended. Islam, in Russia, is declared one of the major religions. 

Basically, Putin did what was supposed to be done long ago--he fixed a historical position of Russkie of which everyone in Russia is well aware and, bar some few crazy exceptions, not only are content with it but want it to remain so for as long as possible. In the end, it is simply a norm in Russia for centuries to do STEM, as one example, in Russian language. I would say, explaining Riemann folds or partial derivatives is done better in Russian language than in, say, language of Russian North's native peoples--it is just a hard cold fact. I can only imagine how such an amendment which puts White European stock people as American state-founding people whose language is English would be met in the United States. As we all know today, the United States was "founded" by people of color, who were mostly gay or transgender, spoke a variety of languages (not English), while white European population of the United States contributed almost nothing to this country, right? Can you imagine designating Swedish people and their language as the foundation of Sweden? Impossible. But Russians, being backward barbaric people decided to do this using outdated, useless and intolerant method of putting interests of the overwhelming majority of people, including huge number of non-Russians, above aspirations of a minority which tries to call white black, wet-dry, and a sunny day an overcast.   

UPDATE: Ravil Gainutdin, actually already issued a statement (and I give him a benefit of a doubt here) that his "disagreement" was not with the principle but with formulation. He emphatically stressed the necessity to point out the state-founding character of Russian people and language and quoted his version of an amendment:

«Выражая волю многонационального народа Российской Федерации и русского народа»

Translation: Expressing will of multi-national people of Russian Federation and Russian people.  
We'll see, as you might expect Russian "liberda" and svidomy Sumerians from Ukraine are going apoplectic from all that. Good.