News and Society

Russian president Vladimir Putin inspects a weapon during a visit to an army base in Dagestan in 2008. Photograph: Ria Novosti/Reuters

Russia needs a "leap forward" to rejuvenate its sprawling defence industry, Vladimir Putin said on Friday, harkening back to the ambitious industrialisation carried out by Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin in the runup to the second world war.

"We should carry out the same powerful, all-embracing leap forward in modernisation of the defence industry as the one carried out in the 1930s," Putin told his security council, without mentioning Stalin by name.

Stalin, who ruled the Soviet empire for 25 years, is blamed for the death of about six million people but also is praised by many Russians for winning the second world war and industrialising the country.

Putin has made renewed industrialisation a priority during his third term in the Kremlin.

He returned to power in May amid the largest protests of his 12-year rule.

He conceded that the defence industry, once the heart of the Soviet economy, was in tatters.

"Unfortunately, many of our enterprises are technologically stuck in the previous century," Putin said, complaining about poor discipline at plants working on state defence orders.

In the 1930s Soviet leaders transformed a rural country devastated by civil war into an industrial superpower, using terror and executions to impose strict discipline at new plants built across the vast country.

Putin's top defence industry official, Dmitry Rogozin, posted on his Facebook page a copy of a 1940 letter from Stalin to gun factory managers and accompanied it with a sarcastic warning: "Such methods of improving discipline also exist."

Stalin's letter to the managers said: "I give you two or three days to launch mass production of machine gun cartridges … If production does not start on time, the government will take over control of the plant and shoot all the rascals there."

Rogozin said: "Of course, it was a joke," but he added that failures would not be tolerated.

"Our satellites are falling, our ships are sinking, we had seven space failures in the last 18 months but not a single plant felt the consequences," he said after the council session.

"The culprits should come on stage. The country should know them."

Putin plans to spend £430bn in the next eight years modernising the military, with the bulk of the money going to 1,350 defence plants which employ about two million Russians. Many defence sector workers backed Putin during the election.

He sees the sector as a new growth driver for the stagnating economy which can help wean Russia off its dependency on energy. He promised to open up the sector to private businesses.

Putin's critics argue that the arms industry is too backward and corrupt to be given such money and point to numerous recent failures and delays such as space satellite crashes or failed test launches of new intercontinental missiles.

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In answer to the question oft asked this day, I remember exactly where I was when the tragedies began. I stood mouth gaping open like everyone else not able to wrap my brain around what I was seeing. I still wonder why on earth I let my children attend school that day. We all scrambled through the various news stations and online to get the latest bits of news each bit more tragic and shocking than the last. We shook our heads in disbelief watching all those folks just like us walking across the Brooklyn Bridge trying to get home to assure their loved ones that they were, in fact one of the lucky ones. One of the lucky ones.

It would be impossible for me to stress in my own humble way how disinterested I am in discussing why this happened. Ditto for the politics that surround this issue to this day. I only care about 2 things. I care about the families and their journey and the different points and rest stops they have encountered along grief's rocky path. Additionally, I sincerely contemplate, meditate, pray, consider, hope, manifest and affirm that the way to avoiding these types of chaotic episodes is to understand, understand, know, take to heart the notion that we are citizens of the world and we are one another's keeper. We are all siblings.

The days following 9-11 were eerily quiet. No planes flying overhead and people speaking almost in a whisper. The flags were flying everywhere and often I found myself having to leave the room during the news broadcasts as the pundits pontificated about who was responsible. There were some things however that began to present themselves as the tiniest glimmers of Grace amongst the wreckage. I was picking up grocery items for dinner that evening the day after 9-11. There were long lines that afternoon as if folks were eating at home instead of eating out or auto-piloting their way to the drive-thru fast food. I silently gasped as I noticed the woman in front of me was Muslim, dressed in full Burka. Fear took over as I was concerned for her safety in public. I had heard reports of violence taking place back East already. Condemnations, slurs, assaults and I wondered if there might be customers here waiting in line that shared the unfortunate view that all of those who believe differently from us have hatred and violence in their heart. My fears were unfounded as I watched stranger after stranger offer to let someone go ahead of them, any number of people turned in front of them or in back of them to smile and make small talk. In our line there was special attention given to smile, acknowledge and offer greetings to the woman in front of me. I felt emotion rise to the surface. I wanted to reach out and embrace her and have her know that she is like me and that I am like her and that I consider her path sacred just like my own. I believe I went with a smile and something mundane about the weather. Opportunity missed. Yet I have silently blessed her many times over the years for allowing so many of us to reach out in our own way that day.

I am keenly aware of the thorny problems that face us. I just know that finding ways to show love to these problems is the only way to resolution. There is only love. I do not care how this sounds. I just want to know why those in charge of these thorny problems do not spend more time speaking about how love can be a catalyst for change and then actually use love as that catalyst.

So on this day, I will spend quiet time in reflection of all of those lost that day. All of those lost since due to illness and grief. I will bless their contributions to all of us. I will honor their memory by sending blessings of love and comfort and empowerment going forward to each of their family members and friends. It is the least that I can do. I will not lower my standard of expectation that we will find resolution through love.

May we honor these lives transitioned by showing love and patience and tolerance for others. May we honor these events with a sacred attempt to show love and patience and tolerance for ourselves as this will build a foundation for peace in great measure for generations to come.

And so it is.

Peggy Cole Ashman is the author of _Inexplicable Grace-An Adoptee Journeys Home She is an artist, author, blogger and happy wife and Mom. You may find her website at http://www.renewalofspirit.com/

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