I really like and respect Georgia. Despite my usual sarcasm showing in the past few post, I think it’s a great country with an impressive history. Its problem is its unfortunate geopolitical situation: It is very difficult to be a small neighbor of Russia these days. Russia wants it to be obedient (and share some of the territory), and another superpower wants to use it to put pressure on Russia. Having seen Ukraine deal with a similar predicament, I can’t help but feel sorry for it.
Georgia has participated in the Eurovision only twice before. So when Georgia pulled out of this year’s contest yesterday, I felt bad for it. But what is the deal with all the hypocrisy?
Here is what MSNBC quotes Georgia’s representative as saying:
“Our song … does not contain political statements and the public broadcaster is not going to change the text of the song and refuses to go to competition in Moscow,” the head of production at Georgia’s state broadcaster, First Channel, George Chanturia, told a news briefing.
Many countries in the past expressed and enforced their political views through using or banning popular music. National anthems are composed to sound grand and solemn to inspire patriotism. The Russian’s use of the old Soviet score for theirs was a definitive political choice. But politics and music intertwine more often than an average Russian hears the anthem: Presidential candidates everywhere enlist pop singers to campaign for them. Western Ukraine banned playing songs in Russian in public places a few summers ago (all other languages were fine). The Beatles were banned in the USSR at some point — as a propaganda tool of the “decaying capitalism. I have seen North Koreans study Britney Spears CD’s as a way of learning about America’s culture.
There is nothing wrong when a band from a country that feels oppressed performs a song that claims they don’t want a president of the oppressing country. I mean, North Korea does it with George Bush. Wait, that’s a bad example. All similar ones I can think of right now were written by the Communist propaganda masters.
Anyway, there is also nothing wrong when that song gets distributed worldwide through the wonder that is YouTube. But it is somewhat strange when that song gets entered into a competition that is supposed to be non-political by nature, that will be held in the ‘oppressing country’s’ capital, — and when the official representatives claim it is clearly non-political and act all indignant.
If there were no rules in place that ban songs of political nature to be performed at Eurovision, I would not mind ‘We Don’t Wanna Put In being performed this year. Freedom of speech is a jus cogens to me. Truth be told, Eurovision is a very politicized events, and the way voting is structured allows countries to block against other countries etc.
Judging aside, from a political scientist viewpoint, I think that this song situation did not work in Georgia’s favor. Georgia knew what the rules were, it knew that everyone would hear ‘Putin,’ not ‘Put In’, it could probably predict the song would be banned by the Eurovision organizers. I would guess that it was looking for some sort of political martyr reputation, but instead, it came across as being petty. Georgia just needs a new political strategist.
I think that EuroVision has become so over rated especially in Eastern Europe. My understanding is that it is supposed to be a fun and slightly comedic contest for musicians but it seems that Eastern European countries take the contest so seriously that it is becoming political and a bit over dramatic. Just my opinion….
Eurovision is definitely meant to be apolitical, but so are the Olympics. Yet last summer, the Chinese government’s official policy was to win as many medals as possible to ‘shame the capitalists.’ With all the post-Soviet tensions and many Eastern European immigrants in Western Europe, Eurovision is a perfect breeding ground for major political drama.
On the one hand, it is good to have an outlet like that, with healthy competition and voting, and all the intrigues. On the other hand, too much drama can promote hatred. This is why I disapproved of Georgia’s entry and supported Russia’s decision to choose a Ukrainian singer to represent it. Let’s hope that it will be fun and funny this year, not sad and upsetting.
If by Western Ukraine you mean Lviv, then let me supply the context.
In neighboring Rivne oblast, where I’m a frequent visitor, they play Russian songs in cafes just fine. In fact, my childhood friends there listen to Russian rock bands like Чайф and Ленинград, having worked at construction sites in Russia.
Should Russia attack Ukraine, my friends will certainly defend their native land.
So why not be good neighbors? Can’t we respect each other’s culture, language and independence?
Taras, I am not sure the article you linked to is a relevant context to what I was writing about, but thanks. I have been to Lviv, and I am aware of the situation there. It is mostly exaggerated by the media, but some developments indicate a slow but steady development of nationalism. Whether anti-Russian or anti-Ukrainian, nationalism is a wrong strategy to pursue.
I do not foresee Russia ‘attacking’ Ukraine, except for maybe economically. Crimea would be the only part of Ukraine that Russian wants, and most people in Crimea would be be very happy to join Russia anyway (need I remind you of the anti-NATO protests in Feodosiya a few years ago? or the protests in favor of Russian-speaking schools?).
As a Russian-Ukrainian, I most certainly agree that all of us should co-exist in mutual respect in harmony. In reality, it is highly unlikely, at least as long as the divide between Eastern and Western Ukraine is not bridged.