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Putin's Brave New Russia
themoscowtimes.com ^ | Mar. 17 2014 | Victor Davidoff

Posted on 04/10/2014 8:33:08 AM PDT by Berlin_Freeper

Trouble, even when expected, can come at unexpected times. For many months, Russians have expected that authorities would begin to block Internet sites that publish opinions from opposition leaders, activists and supporters. But when a number of sites were blocked on Thursday morning, it was like a bolt out of the blue.

The Federal Mass Media Inspection Service blocked access to the website of the Ekho Moskvy radio, the online publications Ej.ru, Grani.ru and Kasparov.ru, the homepage of world chess grandmaster Gary Kasparov. The legal justification was the so-called Lugovoi law, named after its author, State Duma Deputy Andrei Lugovoi. He is also the main suspect in the 2006 London murder of Kremlin critic Alexander Litvinenko. Even if Lugovoi's guilt as a murderer has not been proven in court, there is no doubt that he is a killer of freedom on Russia's Internet.

This law entered into force on Feb. 1, during protests in Ukraine. The law allows the Federal Mass Media Inspection Service to block sites "containing calls for unsanctioned acts of protest" without a court injunction. As usual for repressive laws in Russia, it is applied rather loosely. The editors of Grani.ru were not told which of their hundreds of online pages contained "calls for unsanctioned acts of protest," if there were any at all. It goes without saying that the Lugovoi law violates the Russian Constitution, where Article 29 strictly prohibits any censorship.

(Excerpt) Read more at themoscowtimes.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; Russia
KEYWORDS: crimea; gopewarmachine; neoconagitators; neocons4svoboda; olehtyahnybok; putin; putinsbuttboys; russia; surrendermonkeys; svoboda; tyahnybok; ukraine

1 posted on 04/10/2014 8:33:08 AM PDT by Berlin_Freeper
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To: Berlin_Freeper

As I keep trying to tell people, Putin is KGB; first, last, and always. He is NOT a Christian nor does he have the values of those in this constitutional republic. What he wants is total control.


2 posted on 04/10/2014 9:33:47 AM PDT by Nifster
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To: Nifster

I agree. I cannot believe the ignorant fawning, cooing, and general homage paid to him by the simple minded.


3 posted on 04/10/2014 9:51:01 AM PDT by elhombrelibre (Against Obama. Against Putin. Pro-freedom. Pro-US Constitution.)
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To: Berlin_Freeper

“Attacks on Internet freedom have long been one of the trademarks of the Putin regime. Although the authorities monopolized most mainstream newspapers, radio and television, they lost the battle for the country’s minds on the Internet, where official propaganda is treated as a joke. For more than 10 years, the Kremlin has tried in various ways to limit the possibility of free expression on the Internet. Hacker attacks on independent sites and blogs became the norm. Hundreds of trolls were paid to monitor forums and post nationalistic and xenophobic comments. Their aggressive comments in broken English can be found under many articles and comments on this newspaper’s website.”


4 posted on 04/10/2014 9:53:21 AM PDT by elhombrelibre (Against Obama. Against Putin. Pro-freedom. Pro-US Constitution.)
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To: Nifster; elhombrelibre

For people in the West to cross over to the side of the murderous criminal thug Putin, must involve something sinister, dark and depraved deep down inside, which cannot be logically reasoned with.


5 posted on 04/10/2014 10:00:19 AM PDT by Berlin_Freeper
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To: Nifster

So what are you trying to tell me that Obama is wonderful and a Christian?


6 posted on 04/10/2014 10:19:25 AM PDT by peter the great
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To: Nifster

I will give you the fact that Putin is an old school tyrant—But he’s not a Communist—he have that up. Now if he’s a Christian—hard to say—Maybe in his own way. But I can not see into his heart. Personally, I believe he is. Does he want control and power—I think so. He’s more like Ivan the Terrible than Stalin or Lenin. Does he want a greater Russia—I beleve so—He’s a Patriot, in his way. He wants to rebuild a Czarist Empire. Will he kill to get it? Yes. But, nations do that sort of thing—if you doubt me just ask Princess Diana (but you might need a Ouija Board to do so).


7 posted on 04/10/2014 10:25:33 AM PDT by Forward the Light Brigade (Into the Jaws of H*ll)
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To: Berlin_Freeper

You said it better than I


8 posted on 04/10/2014 10:25:40 AM PDT by Nifster
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To: peter the great

No and nowhere have I ever suggested that. It is not either or. I am able to recognize evil where ever I see it


9 posted on 04/10/2014 10:32:37 AM PDT by Nifster
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To: Forward the Light Brigade

You are delusional


10 posted on 04/10/2014 10:33:28 AM PDT by Nifster
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To: Berlin_Freeper

Neither Obama nor Putin should be called Christians.

Secondly, we don’t have a dog in this hunt in Ukraine.

No arms, no weapons, no mercs - nothing. As with Syria, it is too late.

Just because Putin humbled Obama over Syria doesn’t mean that getting involved now is the right thing to do. Arming Syrians would very well have likley had arms ending up in the hands of Syrian terrorists. But some act as if we need to humble Putin now. Too late to do that with Ukraine, but Svobodanistas may disagree...

Putin is a thug like Assad, yes, but it is too late for Ukraine.

Getting involved now would very likely mean empowering or strenghtening Svoboda, Pravy Sektor and many other bad elements in Ukraine. Svoboda was given 1/4 of the interim gov’t seats. Real smart. Not.


11 posted on 04/10/2014 10:52:06 AM PDT by Laissez-faire capitalist
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To: Berlin_Freeper

I agree. But we’ve always had people willing to cover up for foreign dictators, especially in the last century.


12 posted on 04/10/2014 11:03:48 AM PDT by elhombrelibre (Against Obama. Against Putin. Pro-freedom. Pro-US Constitution.)
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To: Laissez-faire capitalist

I’ve yet to see anyone advocate US military involvement.


13 posted on 04/10/2014 11:06:33 AM PDT by elhombrelibre (Against Obama. Against Putin. Pro-freedom. Pro-US Constitution.)
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To: elhombrelibre

Straw man.

Mercs aren’t U.S. military.

Neither is providing intelligence.

Neither is other means of involvement.

Zip, zero, nada.

We need to stay out of this.


14 posted on 04/10/2014 11:14:30 AM PDT by Laissez-faire capitalist
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To: elhombrelibre; tcrlaf

There should not be any support for Putin, nor should the Svobodinistas and Pravy Sektorites in the U.S. cover up, either.


15 posted on 04/10/2014 11:17:27 AM PDT by Laissez-faire capitalist
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To: Laissez-faire capitalist

What is the straw man? You argue against US military involvement. Okay. Who advocates it, then? Seems you’re continuously using a straw man.


16 posted on 04/10/2014 11:17:41 AM PDT by elhombrelibre (Against Obama. Against Putin. Pro-freedom. Pro-US Constitution.)
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To: Laissez-faire capitalist; All

I initially said “no arms, no weapons, no mercs, nothing.”

You respond by saying that no one is advocating U.S. military involvcement.

I did not say “the U.S. military does not need to get involved

I said what I posted in quotes at the top of this post.

Thus, there was no need for you to reply with “I’ve yet to see anyone advocate U.S. military involvement.”

Your response was a straw man, as involvement can be in other ways.

Now, say that the U.S. should not get involved in any way, form or fashion by any methods.

That is the correct stance to take: It is the non-neocon, non-GOP establishmnet, non-McCain way. It is the stance that is the only viable one, and the only one that is realistic...


17 posted on 04/10/2014 11:31:34 AM PDT by Laissez-faire capitalist
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; cardinal4; ColdOne; ...

Thanks Berlin_Freeper.


18 posted on 04/11/2014 7:51:39 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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