Russian Academics Aim To Punish Colleagues Who Backed Ukraine Invasion (nytimes.com) 35
Some academic researchers in Russia are quietly working to prevent colleagues who have supported their country's invasion of Ukraine from being elected to the Russian Academy of Sciences this month. From a report: If they succeed, they will deny those who back the war a prized credential that confers prestige in Russian institutions of higher learning. Their campaign could also show that some acts of protest remain possible despite a government crackdown on dissent. The Russian Academy of Sciences is a nonprofit network of research institutes in a variety of disciplines across the Russian Federation. It has just under 1,900 members in Russia and nearly 450 nonvoting foreign members. The academy elects new members every three years. The upcoming poll, starting on Monday, is for 309 seats, including 92 for senior academicians and 217 for corresponding members. The competition is steep: More than 1,700 candidates have applied. This month, a group of Russian researchers started circulating a list of dozens of candidates who have publicly supported Russia's invasion of Ukraine by signing pro-war declarations or letters their universities or institutions released or by making such statements themselves.
Hundreds of high-ranking officials at Russian universities, most of whom were administrators rather than prominent scientists, also signed a letter in support of the war in March. But many academic researchers have taken an antiwar stance. More than 8,000 Russian scientists and science journalists have signed an open letter opposing the invasion since it was first published in February. Three academic researchers -- who were not identified because they risk job loss, imprisonment and their safety by publicly opposing the war -- said in interviews that they helped create the list of those who supported the war to prevent them from being elected to the academy.
Hundreds of high-ranking officials at Russian universities, most of whom were administrators rather than prominent scientists, also signed a letter in support of the war in March. But many academic researchers have taken an antiwar stance. More than 8,000 Russian scientists and science journalists have signed an open letter opposing the invasion since it was first published in February. Three academic researchers -- who were not identified because they risk job loss, imprisonment and their safety by publicly opposing the war -- said in interviews that they helped create the list of those who supported the war to prevent them from being elected to the academy.
Some academic researchers may be jailed soon (Score:2)
Some academic researchers may be jailed soon if they do that
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One has to wonder, if everyone was to end up behind bars, who is really free? The ones behind the bars or the ones on the other side?
Re:Some academic researchers may be jailed soon (Score:5, Insightful)
At this point it seems that your choice in Russia is whether your mind or your body is imprisoned.
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Good news - it doesn't have to be either-or!
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Yeah, I just wanted to remain optimistic.
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At this point it seems that your choice in Russia is whether your mind or your body is imprisoned.
The US -- and every other western country -- should issue an open invitation for permanent residency and an expedited path to citizenship for any Russian scientist, mathematician or engineer who wishes to emigrate. Give them a better option and impose a brain drain on Russia that will impair their ability to develop and/or build technology for years, maybe decades, while boosting the capabilities of the receiving country.
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Non-trivial problem with that idea - how do you prove that the guy who "wishes to emigrate" is being entirely honest about his attitude toward Der Fuhrer?
Why do I care? I'm not suggesting we give them security clearances, just green cards.
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So like what the Russians do for whistleblowers like Edward Snowden?
It is worth remembering that exposing US war crimes can get you 10 years without charge.
I'm still on your side, but nobody is innocent.
Re:Some academic researchers may be jailed soon (Score:4, Insightful)
They are more likely to suffer from extreme clumsiness near open windows.
Re:Some academic researchers may be jailed soon (Score:4, Insightful)
Not to worry, Putin who is a great admirer or Stalin, will do what Stalin did and appoint his own favorite Lysenko's to the academy.
Re: Some academic researchers may be jailed soon (Score:1)
I don't know where that "Putin admire Stalin", well I know it's in US newspapers, but by looking at media before the war, Putin was presented as someone critical about Stalin. And, before the war, he was quoted with strong words against Stalin. So that confuses me a bit.
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Yes, probably. Personal integrity is not for cowards. On the other hand, these are probably those at the top of their game and the only thing Putin can do here is to destroy any future Russia has even more thoroughly.
Sucks to be them (Score:3)
I guess avoiding politics just isn't allowed anymore.
Re:Sucks to be them (Score:4, Insightful)
Probably felt pressured to be shown supporting the invasion in the first place, and now they are going to suffer retaliation from their peers anyway.
I guess avoiding politics just isn't allowed anymore.
I'm pretty sure that people in Ukraine being attacked or drafted and people in Russia being drafted would also be happy to avoid politics. Sadly, no, it really is not allowed anymore.
Re:Sucks to be them (Score:5, Insightful)
The irony is that the appeal of authoritarianism is rooted in the popular desire to avoid politics. Backing the great and glorious leader means you don't have any of that tedious and unsatisfying working out of differences with people you despise. And to be fair the system works great until you're the one disagreeing with the great and glorious leader.
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>The irony is that the appeal of authoritarianism is rooted in the popular desire to avoid politics.
You're absolutely full of beans. This is reductionist to the point of being ludicrous.
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yes it is simplistic and probably wrong. The russian people have never had any choice in the matter. The asymetrical problem (arent they all?) here is that Germany jails a 90 year old lady for saying the death camps were labor camps, while the 90 year old stalin or lenin supporter has not been purged likewise as they should, in fact they are putting up new statutues of the original terrorist lenin. The Ruscists are equally as bad as the nazis in fact they started WWII along with germany in sep 1939 so one
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it is simplistic and probably wrong. The russian people have never had any choice in the matter.
No, we all have choices. It doesn't matter if it's Russians or Americans or Chinese or... well you know, I could go on making this list of anyone who's ever been an aggressor all day, and it would be pretty much everyone. And we all make choices and most of us make excuses, including myself so don't think I'm on any high horse here. What we permit to be done in our name is our responsibility. If we could only die by opposing it that's no comfort to those who die because no one does so.
Choosing to support ev
They're locking up butter (Score:4, Informative)
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> Please post links to back up your claims. That way we can all consider what you saw.
Don't know what he saw or how much he's making up if he is, but it would be a lot more surprising if there wasn't anymore violence there that if there was.
Some history of the region https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
Not A Good Idea (Score:1)
And the loser will be science (Score:2)
Instead of people being voted to the Academy based on academic merit, they could now be selected based on their ideological stance. Sad to see yet another respected institution become politicised.
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Meh, not really.
It is really hard to tell who the best scientists are one you start looking at the top of the crop. The benefits of pushing forward one over another one at that level is negligible and can not be accurately predicted.
But as a society, you do want your scientists to behave ethically, in the interest of society, and science. And pushing an unnecessary war is harmful to everyone.
Nah, f' russian Eichmanns (Score:2)
If they want science go to a civil society; stop contributing to fascism.
Not smart (Score:2)
Considering their funding comes from the government.
Students will be effected (Score:1)
It _was_ quiet ... but now it's news so ... (Score:2)
... it will be shut down shortly after the authorities read/hear about it. Yay media!
That Link (Score:2)
went to the Moscow Times ... but the Cyrillic (Russian language and print) version. When I clicked on the English button, I got the English version ... but not that article.
Surprisingly, there were numerous _other_ articles on that English version about the Ukranian war, resistance, protests, etc. Surely that "paper" can't be being published in Russia?!