The U.S. passed the Magnitsky Act. In response, Putin got even with the Dima Yakovlev law. http://rt.com/politics/peskov-us-adoptions-continue-726/
It took Putin only three weeks to respond with a retaliation bill that displaces his frustration on Russian children. It would have been appropriate to do a measured response to the U.S. bill and leave children out of the issue.
What did Putin say? Could have been something about adoption like, "I'm adopting you instead of the nice couple in the U.S. http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/putin-boy-photo-did-174630989.html
What's the big deal? Aren't there orphans in America for Americans to adopt? Must they adopt Russian children, and raise them in a totally different country and culture, in a language that is not their native? Or is it a status symbol to adopt a Russian or Asian or African child? I don't see anything wrong with Putin getting even.
I think what the US media might be doing is failing to report the shocking examples of Russian kids being adopted by Americans. And then being abused, tortured or dumped back in Russia. These cases were really shocking. Unfortunately, parts of the CIS, like the Ukraine, still allow Elton John and his (cough) "husband" to adopt their kids. Which is pretty bizarrre, being in mind the culture and beliefs of the kids families...
There are such cases. It's a matter of how prevalent they are out of 60,000 adoptions of Russian orphans by the U.S. in the past 20 years and what is an appropriate response to such issues. http://news.yahoo.com/us-couple-accused-abusing-russian-adopted-child-101320105.html If problems have been pervasive enough to justify an outright ban on adoption, why did Russian politicians wait so long if they were truly concerned about the welfare of adopted children? Instead they used the adoption issue as a way of disproportionately retaliating for the recent Magnitsky Act of the U.S. Congress which banned particular corrupt Russian officials from entering the U.S. It's unfortunate that the U.S. and Russia worked together extensively in recent years on legislation for improving adoption regulations and that all of this work was wiped off the slate (at least for the time being) by Putin signing the recent outright ban on adoption.
Its a big topic 1)Yes the extremes were shocking. But Russia also has a problem with the overall controls in the US system - which were not addressed. 2)There's cold war rhetoric here. Who says these Russian officials are corrupt? America? George Bush and his cronies? When the Republicans and Halliburton arrived in Moscow, Russia didnt arrest them and try them for crimes against humanity. Either way, Russia is taking a symmetrical response against the US here now. Its not really relev to adoption, even tho Fox News wants to kid people. 3)Why should Americans adopt Russians? Congolese maybe. But American kids arent adopted by Russians, so theres not reason for the other way. Russia took a little while to adapt to a free market, but making big positive steps. America, in contrast is in a time of struggle for many. When was the last time a rich Muscovite family was allowed by the USA to adopt a kid from a crack family in a trailer park? 4)The Head of the Orthodox Church in his Xmas address took steps to get Russians more around to the idea of adoption. This alone will help the situation greatly. Its ridiculous to have Russian children lose their culture and identity to people like Elton John, and any people who have no respect, belief or interest in Russian culture. ____________ Having said all this, I wish I had been adopted by Sylvester Stallone, +not live with my actual parents..
The adoption issues are far more encompassing than a talking point about Elton John. A symmetric response to the Magnitsky Act would have been for Russia to not allow corrupt U.S. officials to enter Russia. If the issue is really one of child welfare and not political retaliation, one has to question why Russia has not banned adoption by other countries, many of which have human rights records and conditions worse than anything in the U.S.
There are around 700,000 Russian orphans with only about 18,000 Russians willing to adopt. Anyone care to suggest what to do with the orphan situation in Russia? I'm referring to constructive solutions that will improve the condition of children wherever they may end up living, as opposed to cheap political retaliation, wedge issues, talking points, and the like.
You have to understand that in America and elsewhere, adoption is a big profitmaking industry. And quite disturbing in many ways. You also have to look at the stats. The vast majority of Russian orphans are actually looked after by aunts, uncles etc ie other family. A vast number *are* also adopted ie by excellent Russian (unrelated) people. And America adopts very few Russian children anyway. http://rt.com/politics/ban-foreign-adoptions-duma-773/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orphanage#Russia You must also understand and get accurate data. Being an orphan does not mean living in an orphanage. It means "both parents dead or permanetly separated from the child" - which would mean America has a very large number too. Infact, a vast number of American kids live in various centres( read small *orphanage* environments, or with foster and not adoptive parents). The whole US Fox spin is to say "Russia is crap, we need to take their children, like we do with poor africans and the like". The Russian line is to say "you've had utter monsters adopt our kids. U consider your country to be above having its children adopted elsewhere - even when your children are suffering terribly". The solution is for America to adopt the EU stance, as stated in the RT article. The cheap failed attempts at point-scoring seems to be from the American side, IMO. PS I lost out on much of my Russian Slavic heritage growing up due to the death and disalignment from my grandparents. I think it must be really bad for a child to be born in Russia, then be dragged off to some alien environment and fed whatever culture Elton John, or Chuck and Betty-Lou from Arkansas foist on them..
As mentioned, sorry but the figures you claim dont reflect the actual situation. All that needs to happen in Russia is for more would be adopters to consider it. So that the whole CIS has more options than grandparents, aunts, uncles, state care, and the current would-be adopters. Likewise, America needs to seriously reconsider its own internal position on "mail order babies", fostering without adoption, and RTC centres etc (ie orphanages in everything but the name). The figures here are pretty shocking.
Thanks for the comments. What do you think are the actual figures regarding the number of orphans in Russia and people in Russia willing and able to adopt them? The figures I posted were from various news articles. Wiki is stating about 200,000 in institutions. Also, what do you think the legislature and Putin have done in recent years to give more options to would-be adopters in Russia to actually adopt orphans instead of having them go to other countries or remain in an orphanage state in Russia? Or, what have they not done enough of? And, on the flip side, what could be done to reduce the number of parents or relatives who give away their child to the Russian state? Would-be adopters is a shadowy term. That could be a major fraction of the entire population of Russia. There are people who are willing and able to adopt. One can say that they are 'in the market' as adopters and actively seeking a child. Then there are others who could be described as potential adopters but who are not willing or able for whatever reasons.
