Posted on 03/08/2006 11:26:01 AM PST by Tailgunner Joe
That's the point. The cartoon didn't offend Muslims until United Russia members in Volgograd decided it did. And boy did they make a hulabaloo.
So not only did Putin's party pander to extremist Muslim views, it artificially created the outrage and deliberately sought to stoke Muslim party opinion.
Ultimately this was all about sending a warning to the press: "We can shut you down whenever we damn well please."
That is how life is in "Free" Russia, which is now vying with Belarus for the sobriquet of "outpost of tyranny."
Let the muzzies show their true colors, then send them (via kalishnikov bullets soaked in pig blood) straight to hell.
What ever happened to General Lebed? He seemed like an ok guy?
Nonsense! The newspaper broke the law. Is that hard for you to understand?
He died a few years back in a helicopter accident. He was actually standing up giving an interview while the helicopter was landing. The helicopter hit telephone wires and crashed. Lebed and the journalist died. The people buckled in survived. The pilots were charged with negligence.
Lebed, btw, would have been more autocratic than Putin. His position was Russia was too "young" as a new country to become completely democratic. He said his role model was Pincohet. His belief was Russia should gradually free the market and gradually free the press. That might of worked immediately after the Soviet Union imploded, but after the genie was let out of the bottle, it was too late to stuff it back in.
I am sorry. There is no way that a cartoon showing the major religious figures sitting together, watching television and bemoaning religious intolerance can possible either be considered offensive or a breach of Russian law.
If there is such a thing.
Tonight, on the metro, I saw the police beat unconscious a drunk man who entered through the exit doors and tried to go down the up-escalator. He was bleeding in buckets from his head -- just soaked with blood. When I went to check his pulse and attempted to perform a bit of first aid, the police beat me too and gave me ten seconds to get out if I did not want to suffer the same fate.
Not surprising, really. In the time I have been in Moscow, I have been arrested for no reason by police looking for a bribe, robbed by other police officers and threatened with violence on two previous occasions.
"Not to mention Putin's revival of state control of industry, elimination of significant amounts of private property, destruction of the capital of Chechnya, sale of modern fighter jets to Venezuela, opposition to the liberation of Iraq."
SunkenCiv, those statements are partially correct and based on the misinformation in the MSM.
1.) State control of industry: Some truth to this statement, but, the portion of industries that were wrested away from private hands were portions that had oligarchs in charge who were a.) not paying taxes, b.) spiriting away all the wealth overseas, c.) involved in criminal activities [including murder], and d.) obtained illegally under Yeltsin's kleptocracy.
2.) Elimination of private property: What exactly? Under Putin Russians AND foreigners can now own not only apartments and houses, BUT, the land on which said properties sit. A first for modern Russia
3.)Destruction of Groznyj (Capital of Chechnya): True, but the Chechens, under the influence of Wahaabiism, thumbed their noses at the peace treaty they signed (brokered by Gen. Alexandr Lebed) and attacked Russia. They were making Groznyj their base - what would you have done were you in command? (Think Fallujah)
4.) Sale of modern fighters to Chavezistan: No argument there. They're letting their desire for the $$$$ that arms sales bring overrule the inroads the US and Russia made after Sept 11.
5.) Opposition to the Liberation of Iraq: Not exactly. They agreed Sadam had to go, but disagreed by what means.
Unfortunately you will continue to be a victim of the Moscow militia solely based on the fact that you stand out from the crowd. One thing I quickly learned there is no matter how hard it is not to - do NOT attempt to help anyone the police have set their eyes upon. And, if I were you, I'd avoid the metro after peak hours. Avoid the Arbat, and the open markets on the outskirts. Try not to travel alone.
I haven't had any problems with the Moscow militia, but I can blend in. This may sound offense, but it's just being frank - you will attract them. There are diplomats, with diplomatic immunity, from Africa who are harrassed by the police all the time.
If you haven't yet, go to the Shamrock Bar on Wednesday evening (btwn 1900 and 2100). The bar is on the second floor of the "Irish House" (where Sbarros is) on the New Arbat You can meet Westerners and Africans there. They can clue you in on a lot of the "do's and dont's" of life in Russia for a foreigner.
One more tiny piece of advise - register with your Embassy so they know how to locate you.
Interestingly, Belarus may adopt Russian currency in a step towards unification. Evil dictators unite! Since Putin now appoints governors, Belarus would be saved the trouble of rigging elections.
You make some valid points - shows the difference between a well run and led professional military and the Russian concript-based force.
"Interestingly, Belarus may adopt Russian currency in a step towards unification. Evil dictators unite!"
Interesting statement. Have you been to either country to compare? Russia is hardly under a dictatorship, Belarus' is. And, Belarus is nothing compared to Turkmenistan, but we seem to let Niyazov slip under the radar.
BTW, the local legislatures in the Oblast have veto power over Putin's governor appointments. Governor's in Russia are nothing like ours and never have been. There are plenty of Western countries that do the same thing Putin is doing.
Russia has a long way to travel down the democracy road, but they are not as "authoritarian" as some in the West would make them out to be.
"They are working towards reunification. I was using a bit hyperbole to undesrscore Putin's recent moves, yes there are still some limits on his power, but they are disapearing. Plus his more vocal opponents have a tendency of dying. The Duma and Oblast just rubberstamp his decsions, and offer litte opposition. True they are not as bad as many of the central Asian "republics"
Which of his more vocal opponents have died? Are you talking about Putin or Lukashenko? As far as I know, nobody who has been critical of Putin has been killed. Putin is still limited in a myriad of ways. For one, in my opinion, he still doesn't have a handle on the powerful generals. The Russian government is actually weaker than it is portrayed. Don't get me wrong - the current Administration over there leaves a lot to be desired, BUT, the people like him because the full-scale thievery that went on during Yeltsin's reign has been minimized.
Lukashenko wants to unify with Russia because he actually thinks he could become President. Not a chance. Most Russians aren't really in favor of becoming "one" with Belarus because they see it as a drain on their economy.
Again, thanks for the advice. Will try to pop along some time.
Both, I have seen several articles on political killings that have occurred in both countries. In Russia a large number of indeopendent journalists critical of the Kremlin's policies have died. I will try to get names, Alikhan Gulyev is one, just google Russian journalist killing or the like, article after article comes up. Not saying Putin did them, but it is still suspect, and certainly discourages dissent. Of course Putin is at apparently very popular, and understandably, after all the economy has greatly improved, as well as Russia's power. It just seems he has fascist tendencies.
Gulyev ran afoul of the Ingushestian mafia because he managed to file paperwork that got their candidate for Ingushetia president disqualified, which means he cost them big $$$$$. Most of the killing of journalists is directly related to articles and investigative reporting they have done on the mafia - which means most of the dead journalists were killed by Chechens. American Paul Klebanov being the latest journalist killed by Chechen mafia-hired hitmen.
Fascist tendencies? I disagree. He may have nationalist tendencies, and appears to like the policies of Nikolaj I. But, he's far from fascist. There is so much caterwhauling about how "unfree" the Russian press is - that's tripe. If you could read the Russian newspapers you'd be scratching your head wondering how they are allowed to publish rumors as fact, slander people, make unsubstantiated allegations, and still be allowed to print. If an American newspaper did what some of the Russian newspapers have done they would be sued into submission.
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