Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Thursday lashed out at his country's economic backwardness,corruption and paternalistic mindset,asking Russians to rid themselves of apathy and excessive drinking. In an article for the liberal news website Gazeta.ru, Medvedev also invited Russians to contribute ideas for his annual state-of-the-nation address later this year. In some of the most aggressive criticism to date by a Russian leader of his fellow citizens,Medvedev accused Russians of social apathy and an inability to speak out,which he said were holding back development. Medvedev said "paternalistic feelings" were common. "Hence shiftlessness,a deficit of new ideas,unsolved questions,the low quality of public discussion,including critical reactions," he said in the Gazeta.ru article. "Public consent and support are often manifested in silence," he added. Analysts say basic freedoms like freedom of speech and assembly were sharply curtailed under Medvedev's predecessor,Vladimir Putin,who is now prime minister but is still widely seen as Russia's true leader. Medvedev took issue with a common notion that longstanding social ills like excessive drinking and widespread graft were rooted in Russia's traditions,calling on Russians to get rid of them "in the most decisive way."
