Day By Day

Tuesday, June 14, 2005

A New Form of Protest in Belarus -- "Revolution 69"

Sjarhej Sacharau, editor in chief of Studenckaja Dumka, a student newspaper, suggests a new way of opposing the Lukaschenko regime. He writes:
'If politicians tell you who you'll have bad sex with and who you'll have good sex with, then any critical alternative to this missionary position is considered a protest. And that is of course cool – being able to combine the useful and the pleasurable: to have sex with whoever you wish and however you wish, knowing that in so doing, you're opposing Lukaschenko's politics. That's why we call it the Revolution 69!'
Somehow I don't think this is going to topple Europe's last dictator, but it's worth a try, I guess.

Reported in Sign and Sight here.

Another Belarus journalist, Alexandr Fieduta, explains why Belarus is not ripe for revolution on the Ukranian model.
"Belarus is not the Ukraine. Here the people receive salaries and pensions that they can actually live on. And there are no big economic players with vested interests in democratic institutions – here only firms that have made an arrangement with the government can thrive. There are no independent television or radio broadcasters, and almost no newspapers – the existing opposition papers are abolished for all eyes to see. And: the Russian influence is very strong in Belarus."
Read it here.

Given the situation Fideuta describes, maybe sex is the only form of protest possible. At least it generates an enthusiastic response on campuses.

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