Moscow News
http://www.mnweekly.ru/
October 30, 2008
It’s not my problem!
By Daria Chernyshova
For most people tumbling stock exchanges and bankrupt banks are just part of the ceaseless flow of news that surrounds us. Very few Russians regard anything as a problem unless it directly affects their lives. Until recently, I was the same. I thought all this was ‘nothing special.' Then one of my friends got fired, another had his salary halved, while those with jobs are spending their time in ‘crisis meetings.' Suddenly, a distant story had taken me - and the nation - by surprise.
When the first reports of financial chaos emerged, I tried to find one person who was worried about it. Not only did most people put it to the backs of their minds, but dozens of people were completely unaware of its existence. Now, everyone is up to date with the news, but many still feel it's pointless to worry about ‘such a trifle,' especially when it involves someone else's money.
One reason for the indifference is that Russians have seen it all before. In the early 90s, market reforms shook the country to its foundations. Amid extreme shortages, people stood in line for basic foods - but we survived.
In 1998, the collapse of the ruble presented yet another kind of hardship that Russia has become inured to. Ten years later, those dark days don't seem so important; Russia's unique history affirms our ability to endure anything.
But the more instructive reason involves the Russian habit of not worrying about anything until it is aimed directly at us. This is a national trait that often distinguishes us from the rest of the world, and touches questions of global security, tolerance, the environment and more. The international community woke up to the danger of environmental destruction long ago; to Russians it was a kind of joke. ‘The environment? So what? How does it affect me?' Terror attacks in New York in 2001 were a problem for the US, until we lost our own in atrocities in Moscow, Beslan and other parts of Russia. Since experiencing those events, we have become more concerned about how to do battle against terrorism.
This should not imply that our country neglects its role in finding international solutions to global problems. As a vital state, Russia plays an active part in multinational cooperation, even if the man in the street doesn't pay so much attention; even when ordinary people take some interest, it is rarely from the heart.
Russia's long and often painful history - from the collapse of the Soviet Union, to numerous repressions, the Second World War, and now to financial mayhem, some may be wondering: do we really need to bother? Or is reacting early a more useful response that can help us avoid greater dangers in the future as our country develops? Like the rest of the world, we will surely suffer some of the fall-out from the international financial instability. But if we can't escape, let us at least take the opportunity to learn lessons in crisis management from it.