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On 6 February 2012, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, the far-right populist〔(Russia parliament elections: How the parties line up ) BBC〕 leader of the nationalist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, released a 30-second election video on the Internet that featured him on a sleigh which was harnessed with a black donkey. Zhirinovsky later claimed he owned the animal and that the animal was named Proshka (, diminutive from Prokhor), after Mikhail Prokhorov, another candidate in the Russian presidential election, 2012. The video was named Troika at the official site of the LDPR,〔 but was distributed on YouTube under the following tile: "Zhirinovsky beats donkey!".〔 In the video, Zhirinovsky claimed that the "little wretched donkey" is the symbol of Russia and that if he would become President a "daring troika" would return as a symbol of the country, which "got stuck" at one place just as the donkey. After this, Zhirinovsky whipped the animal to move the sleigh across the snow-covered backyard of his dacha. Animal welfare and rights organizations accused Zhirinovsky of cruelty to animals in relation to this advertisement.〔 Zhirinovsky was also accused of disdain towards the people of Russia. The video became a subject of wide discussion in the Runet and the Russian media,〔〔 including presidential TV debates〔 and comedy shows involving Zhirinovsky. ==Background== Vladimir Volfovich Zhirinovsky, born in 1946, is a veteran of Russian politics who has participated in five Russian presidential elections.〔 He is the founder and long-standing leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia. Despite its name and its proclaimed centrist and reformist outlook, the party is frequently described as "neither liberal nor democratic."〔Timothy Colton, Yeltsin: A Life (2011), p. 282; Donald J. Raleigh, ''Soviet Baby Boomers: An Oral History of Russia's Cold War Generation'', p. 327; The troubled birth of Russian democracy: parties, personalities, and programs. p. 244.〕 It is usually regarded as far-right and is identified with Russian ultranationalism, right-wing populism, or national populism and conservatism.〔''Russian Political Parties Directory'' (1999), p. 65.〕〔Peter H. Merkl and Leonard Weinberg, ''Right-wing extremism in the twenty-first century'' (2003). Psychology Press: p. x.〕〔Hans-Georg Betz, ''Radical right-wing populism in Western Europe'' (1994). Palgrave Macmillan: p. 23.〕 Its ideology is based primarily on Zhirinovsky's ideas of "imperial reconquest" (a "renewed Russian Empire")〔Stephen E. Hanson, ''Post-Imperial Democracies: Ideology and Party Formation in Third Republic France, Weimar Germany, and Post-Soviet Russia'' (2011). Cambridge University Press.〕 and authoritarian vision of a 'Greater Russia.'"〔〔John B. Dunlop, ''The Rise of Russia and the Fall of the Soviet Empire'' (2011). Princeton University Press, p. 167.〕 Zhirinovsky is "often viewed as something of a clown" and "a showman of Russian politics, blending populist and nationalist rhetoric, anti-Western invective and a brash, confrontational style".〔(Profiles of Russia's 2012 presidential election candidates ) BBC〕 His campaign slogan for 2012 was "Vote Zhirinovsky, or things will get worse".〔 Eventually, in the 2012 Russian presidential election, Zhirinovsky was fourth with 6.22% of the votes, behind Prokhorov, who received 7.94%.〔(History of Presidential Elections in Russia: Infographics ) RIAN〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Vladimir Zhirinovsky's donkey video」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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