MOSCOW, February 1 (Itar-Tass) — Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin believes national patriots must unite in order to confront the Opposition's street rallies. He elaborated on his idea in his article titled "Russian Answer to Vladimir Putin," published by the newspaper Izvestia on Wednesday.
Rogozin underlined that "a weak Russia will become the next victim of the world which is rapidly going crazy."
"This world only respects force -- not the "smart" or "soft" force praised by our political analysts with twisted brains -- but a truly brute, armed, and physical force. It is necessary to make all efforts towards strengthening national unity, which our enemies are undermining, reviving Russia’s economic and military might, developing the defense sector, overcoming problems of the army and the Navy and reanimating the fundamental science and applied knowledge," he said.
In his article, the deputy prime minister lashed out at the Opposition, calling its leaders "political crooks demanding that the feast go on." "Those who are trying to rock the political boat are not aiming at bureaucracy. They are targeting Putin. Today, Putin is a symbol of the policy independent from Washington; he is the only leader in Europe not crushed by the running roller of U.S. hegemony."
He underlined that Putin's defeat at the election would make former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, and incumbent Secretary of State Hillary Clinton happy. "Of course, our liberal "fifth column" - which is queuing for Embassy reception -- will be happy too.
"But for the Russian citizens, Putin's defeat will imply the loss of the country's independence, the defeat of all those who still have hopes for it, such as Kosovo's Serbs, standing on barricades with the portraits of the Russian premier, because the person in the picture has become the symbol of their faith in the long-awaited freedom, and nobody from Bolotnaya Square will make them think otherwise," he said.
Addressing national-patriotic forces, Rogozin underlined that after the publication of Putin's article about the national issue, "it will not be considered inappropriate or indecent to talk about Russian rights and problems."
"If Russian patriots do not wish the recurrence of the sad fate of their predecessors, who lost the fight for Russia to the theomachist Bolsheviks, if we do not wish the authorities' addressing the Russian issue peter out after some time, we ourselves must make a responsible and mature civil decision," he said.