Berezovsky
Boris Berezovsky
This documentary, released in 2006, shows how the oligarchs rose to power in the post-Soviet era, buying up huge sections of newly privatized industries before moving on to the markets of propaganda (television) and politics. But their downfall was just as swift as their rise, thanks to the principled and effective leadership of Vladimir Putin. Watching this documentary will give a big clue as to why Putin is so demonized today by the West. The oligarchs, after all, are an exemplar of what the West calls 'democracy', but which is in reality heartless oligarchy: 'free' elections created and stage-managed by rich donors and PR companies, usually with foreign investment courtesy of NGOs whose goals are antithetical to the nations in which they operate; the 'freedom' of the '1%' who make more money than they truly need, serving their own selfish interests rather than the public good. It's no wonder that corrupt individuals like Berezovsky, Khodorkovsky, and Gusinsky are portrayed as the good guys in Western media. Khodorkovsky was even named person of the year in 2003 by Expert.

Pay attention to the candid remarks made by the oligarchs themselves. For example, this is what Berezovsky had to say about his role in Yeltsin's successful 1996 election: "It's said that the media acted on orders. To these accusations all I can say is, yes, it's true. Directives were given, news coverage wasn't objective, but it's all part of a democratic process." To which the leaders in the West can only agree. This is what Putin is up against.