De asemenea armata s-a micsorat ca numar si si-a diminuat influenta in stat. Ultima miscare a Ministrului Apararii este deschiderea langa Moscova a unui “Patriot Park”, care nu e numai o expozitie de armament de ultimul tip, dar si simulatoare de conducere de operatiuni cu astfel de echipamente, ca intr-un „parc de distractii tematic”!
Did Russian Defense Ministry Open a Theme Park for Warmongers?
TIME magazine says so, but it’s really much worse than that. It’s a theme park for (gasp)… Russians!
Here’s the deal. Russian military is moving away from conscription and service by compulsion and is transforming itself into an increasingly volunteer force made up of people who actually signed up to become a part of it.
Additionally, compared to the heavily militarized Soviet times, Russian military has become smaller, its influence on the state leadership has decreased, and so has its stamp on the society and societal prestige.
This means that where in the past an immense supply of conscripts and budget funds were assured, this is not necessarily the case today. The defense ministry still takes the biggest chunk of state budget, but no longer enjoys a privileged position and has to actually compete with other departments.
This has meant that Russian army and defense ministry have been forced to tread in the unfamiliar ground of public relations. Clearly if the military wants the parliament to approve a big chunk of money for the army it helps for the MPs to know the military is somewhat popular with voters. Likewise if the defense ministry is going to get anyone to join the armed forces of their own volition.
Thus the ministry’s latest move – the opening of “Patriot Park” near Moscow. According to reports it’s a giant exhibition ground meant for both, arms buyers interested in the latest Russian military technology, as well as the average Ivan Sixpack looking to be dazzled by army’s heavy machinery. It’s a – see the army’s latest tank beat an obstacle course – use its latest flight simulator – climb into its latest armored taxi – kind of thing.
If you think this sounds like a transparent attempt to provide the Russian taxpayer with some moderate fun (and get him some tangible return on his tax rubles) to bolster his support of the army you’re probably right. The Guardian deems it Russia’s “military Disneyland” which is a reasonably fair description except in that Patriot Park aesthetics don’t appear to be cartoonish or aim at children specifically.
Of course if it’s a Russian story you can always count on somebody in the western press to go overboard and make fools of themselves. This time it was TIME magazine which insistedRussia had opened “a theme park for warmongers” and suggested it was a place that teaches how to fire grenade launchers – to children.
