cover image My Struggle: The Explosive Views of Russia's Most Controversial Political Figure

My Struggle: The Explosive Views of Russia's Most Controversial Political Figure

Vladimir Zhirinovsky. Barricade Books, $18 (304pp) ISBN 978-1-56980-074-4

Despite a sugarcoating in the rhetoric of global peace and multiparty pluralism, Zhirinovsky's disjointed, paranoid ravings leave no doubt that he is a dangerous man. The leader of Russia's misnamed Liberal Democratic Party, the ultranationalist Zhirinovsky calls for a massive military push to extend Russia's borders to the Indian Ocean, the ""liquidation of Pakistan"" and the ""dismemberment of... Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan."" He also advocates Russia's takeover of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and other former Soviet republics that make up what Russians call the ""near abroad."" Massive resettlement of Russians into vast southern and Central Asian regions will follow, making Russian the dominant language, in his scenario. Zhirinovsky condemns ""wicked"" free-market reforms, praises Stalin for restoring personal morality, urges Russia to reclaim Alaska, spews anti-American venom, drops blatant anti-Semitic remarks and envisages a Russia cleansed of the ""infection and evil"" of ""alien religions."" Although he briefly sketches his unhappy, fatherless childhood and early career, this tirade is really a campaign speech, spiked with name-calling: migrants to European Russia are ""cockroaches,"" provincial politicos are ""pseudocommunist scum."" (July)