Russian Nationalism and Nationalism in Russia

President Vladimir Putin shared a few thoughts yesterday with Russia's Federal Assembly regarding the country's oft problematic inter-ethnic relations.  Unless I'm missing the mark -- and I have been away for quite some time -- I find it interesting that Putin brought up the topic of  "Russian nationalists."  The apostrophes are Putin's, who in general labels those who claim to be nationalists as part of an "amoral internationale" of opportunists "deprived of culture" and "respect for traditions."  He sees an unholy trinity of "insolent immigrants from certain southern Russian regions," corrupt police who provide protection for cash, and "so-called" (my apostrophes) Russian nationalists at the foundation of the problem.  This formulation conveniently removes the links between the parts and the wholes.  Those "insolent immigrants" and "so-called" nationalists are part -- however unsavory, however unwanted -- of larger ethnic groups, both in the "near abroad" and inside the Russian core, with real issues and problems.  By cutting the link and denying reality, Putin is that much farther from improving an impossible situation.