Why Russia's oligarchs won’t topple Putin

+ fight or flight? For birds, it's a trade-off US Edition - Today's top story: Meet Russia’s oligarchs, a group of men who won't be toppling Putin anytime soon [View in browser]( US Edition | 7 March 2022 [The Conversation]( Russia’s wealthy oligarchs have propped up and profited from the regime of Vladimir Putin. Could they bring him down as well? That seems to be the aim of the U.S. and other Western governments targeting the oligarchs’ yachts, private jets and luxury homes. By putting the squeeze on Russia’s richest men, the West is punishing them for their continued fealty to Putin in hopes a withdrawal of their support could weaken him. A closer look at who these oligarchs are and their relationships with Putin [suggests this is probably wishful thinking](, explains Stanislav Markus, a University of South Carolina international business professor who has studied the oligarchs in depth. “It is the guns, not the money, that speak loudest in the Kremlin today,” he writes. “As long as Putin retains his control over the siloviki – the current and former military and intelligence officers close to Putin – the other oligarchs, in my view, will remain hostages to his regime.” Also today: - [How Zelenskyy became the anti-Putin]( - [What makes a war “just”]( - [Today’s book bans take a page from the ‘80s]( A newsletter editor’s note last week mistakenly listed Illinois, instead of Indiana, as a state that has advanced anti-trans legislation. Bryan Keogh Senior Editor, Economy + Business Putin has kept most oligarchs at a distance – literally and figuratively. Alexey Nikolsky/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images [Meet Russia’s oligarchs, a group of men who won’t be toppling Putin anytime soon]( Stanislav Markus, University of South Carolina An expert on oligarchs explains how they came to be Russia’s richest and most powerful people and scrutinizes their relationship with Putin. Health + Medicine - [Many Ukrainians face a future of lasting psychological wounds from the Russian invasion]( Arash Javanbakht, Wayne State University Ukrainian children, refugees and military personnel will be among those hardest hit with PTSD due to the Russian invasion. Ethics + Religion - [How do Russia’s reasons for war stack up? An expert on ‘just war’ explains]( Valerie Morkevicius, Colgate University Over centuries, theory on just war has developed six main criteria for assessing conflicts. - [How Zelenskyy emerged as the antithesis of Putin and proved you don’t need to be a strongman to be a great leader]( Michael Blake, University of Washington A political philosopher explains the moral symbolism ascribed to Zelenskyy’s ‘heroism’ and why he offers hope to those who hold democracy dear. Science + Technology - [Russian troops fought for control of a nuclear power plant in Ukraine – a safety expert explains how warfare and nuclear power are a volatile combination]( Najmedin Meshkati, University of Southern California The world held its collective breath as Russian troops battled Ukrainian forces at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. The battle is over and no radiation escaped, but the danger is far from over. Environment + Energy - [Deer have horns, walruses have tusks – here’s why so few birds have weapons of their own]( Alexandre V. Palaoro, Clemson University ; João C. T. Menezes, UMass Amherst Birds will shriek and dive at each other over food, territory or mates, but only a small number of species sport actual weapons. The reason: Flying matters more for their survival than fighting. Economy + Business - [SEC is considering climate disclosure rules for U.S. companies – and facing threats of lawsuits]( Daniel E. Walters, Penn State; William M. Manson, Penn State Some investors want publicly traded companies to disclose their full climate impact, including emissions from their supply chains and product use. Politics + Society - [Economic sanctions may deal fatal blow to Russia’s already-weak domestic opposition]( Brian Grodsky, University of Maryland, Baltimore County Sanctions follow a ‘punishment logic,’ which often hurts the wrong people – and will likely weaken an already beleaguered Russian opposition. - [Russia is blocking Security Council action on the Ukraine war – but the UN is still the only international peace forum]( Shelley Inglis, University of Dayton Russia holds veto power on the UN Security Council, blocking any action to interfere in the Ukraine war. This is unlikely to change soon – but the UN still has other options for engagement. Education - [Battles over book bans reflect conflicts from the 1980s]( Fred L. Pincus, University of Maryland, Baltimore County A scholar compares the debates over banning books in school today to a similar clash of ideas that took place during the Reagan era. 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