Pussy Riot goes for the gold

The feminist punks of Pussy Riots attempted to compete with the Winter Olympics today. Members of the outfit appeared in Sochi to call fresh attention to their hatred of President Putin by singing a song. To no one's surprise, they were hassled by cops, detained for questioning about thefts from a hotel room. While most western observers will assume that the Russians simply made up these charges to hassle Pussy Riot, the fact that the cops gave Pussy Riot what I assume they wanted might make one wonder whether the grrls actually did something beyond merely being in town to provoke the authorities. In any event, the bandmembers were freed and rushed into the embrace of the international media, for whom they performed some of their new Putin song. Lest I sound too skeptical toward Pussy Riot, rest assured that I grant whatever grievances they have about their country's religious right. But when their adventures as offered as proof of the authoritarian nature of the government under Putin doesn't it tend to trivialize the liberal critique of the Russian leader? Whatever their real grievances are, Pussy Riot furthers a global liberal narrative in which dissent is just about an end unto itself and the necessary proof of a free society is that you can insult the leaders. Political leaders shouldn't be immune from insult -- many are far too thin-skinned for their people's good -- but a liberalism that can't sleep soundly unless it hears people griping about their government risks confusing a free society, as defined in liberal terms, with a just society. Some people do equate a free society with a just society; they're the ones who ultimately believe that "as long as you have a right to complain, you have no right to complain." Some confusion is understandable, since a just society should, by any definition, also be a free society. But the equation works only one way: a just society is necessarily a free one, but one that is only free isn't necessarily just. The problem isn't really Pussy Riot but the coverage of Pussy Riot --whatever their substantial grievances against Russian society and culture, the west is interested mainly in what they say about Putin and what he does about it. Would Russia really be a better place if Putin or his Orthodox base didn't persecute dissidents like Pussy Riot? Those who answer yes are only partly right, depending on the extent to which greater tolerance of dissent would improve the lives of ordinary Russians? But if greater tolerance of dissent is really all it takes to make Russia a member in good standing of the family of civilized nations, our standard of civilization is probably pretty shallow.