Putin Angry at History Book Slur

[kskiska]

The history books in Russia may have to be rewritten yet again. President Vladimir Putin has ordered a review of all history textbooks after one controversial book asked students to debate whether he was a dictator running a police state.

The Russian president has written to the president of the Russian Academy of Sciences demanding an inquiry into the history textbooks used across Russia by February 1. The pretext for the letter, dated last month, is a response to complaints about Russian history books, particularly from world war two veterans. Yet privately, Kremlin officials are thought to be furious about one particular textbook, National History: the 20th Century, which addresses the former KGB officer's authoritarian administration.

The Kremlin has been careful to create a popular mandate for the revision. According to the Kommersant newspaper, Mr Putin writes in the letter: "I share the feelings and opinions of the veterans of the great patriotic war . I order in that in the shortest period of time scientists and historians be invited to consider the situation with history books for middle schools. The results of this work should be reported by February 1."

(snip)

The book was written by a history teacher, Igor Dolutsky, and addresses Mr Putin's rise to power. It asks students to "disprove or prove" a remark by journalist Yury Burtin about "Putin's personal power and authoritarian dictatorship".

more…
http://www.guardian.co.uk/russia/article/0,2763,1122403,00.html

[KissMyAsscroft]

1. Man, if that isn't irony....

Using your authoritarian power to squash a textbook which is questioning whether or not you have authoritarian power has got to rank up there with Pat Robertson owning a racehorse.

[Dirk39]

2. I did just read an interview with Putin in a German Newspaper...

where he said that the reason, he became a KGB agent, was the idea that 20 people have more power than 100.000 soldiers, if they use it the right way...
Dirk

[htuttle]

3. Interesting...

I've read that he holds a black belt in Judo, and has written several books on the subject (you can get them at Amazon.com). Apparently, he's acknowledged as an Olympic-level contender.

For some reason, that seems relevant to the remarks he gave about why he became a KGB agent....At least it did when I first typed it. :shrug: Gives some insight into his thinking, I guess.