Russia 'tired of West's lectures'

CNN ^ | February 13, 2005

[Tailgunner Joe]

MUNICH, Germany (Reuters) -- Russia is fed up with being lectured by the West on democracy but is willing to discuss the issue frankly at a summit with the United States this month, Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said on Sunday.

Eight days after U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Moscow must show its commitment to "the basics of democracy," Ivanov said Moscow was ready for an open exchange when presidents George W. Bush and Vladimir Putin meet.

"We're ready to discuss any issues with the U.S. side, and not only to give answers but also ask questions," Ivanov told journalists at the Munich Security Conference in Germany.

"Democracy is not a potato that you can transplant from one kitchen garden to another. I believe that in recent years democracy in Russia has been developing normally."

He added: "We are prepared to calmly move further in this direction, developing democracy and integrating into the global economic system, but while doing so we prefer to be masters of our own house."

Bush is due to meet Putin on February 24 in the Slovak capital Bratislava. Rice said this month that Russia should show the world it was committed to the rule of law, an independent judiciary and a free press.

[Darkwolf377]

"Democracy is not a potato that you can transplant from one kitchen garden to another."

Now there's a profound thought. (?)

[popdonnelly]

To tell you the truth, I don't know why we keep beating up on Russia. Russia is much less of a threat than the Islamists. The Cold War is over. Give it a rest.

[Tijeras_Slim]

Now there's a profound thought.

From folks who starved millions of their own citizens, no less.

[ml1954]

Ivanov directed his harshest comments towards the 55-nation Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)

Pull out of the OSCE if you don't like it.

Now they know how we feel about the UN.

[SkyPilot]

Russia 'tired of West's lectures'

Agreed. It is so much easier to have the KGB poison one of these "pro-democracy" upstarts with Dioxin anyway.

[Ciexyz]

"To tell you the truth, I don't know why we keep beating up on Russia."

I agree. Maybe it's because we can. I personally think we're bullying Russia. They're on the way to democracy, but they make mistakes. We jump on them like they're Serbs raping Muslim Albanians. And we give a pass to the non-democratic regions of the world.

[ThermoNuclearWarrior]

"To tell you the truth, I don't know why we keep beating up on Russia. Russia is much less of a threat than the Islamists."

Maybe it's because Russia acted against us in the lead up to the war in Iraq and did things that contributed to American deaths. They will also sell weapons to our enemies and potential enemies. You don't think selling weapons to Syria, Iran, etc. aides Islamic terrorist who could use them against us in the near future?

The Russians are ignorant. They are selling weapons that could very easily be used against them soon.

[Frank_Discussion]

"They're on the way to democracy, but they make mistakes."

The Russians, even without the Soviet state in evidence, is one of the two big boys in the nuclear war neighborhood. Sure, they may make mistakes, but they get special treatment due to the potential consequences of democratic failure.

"And we give a pass to the non-democratic regions of the world."

The way Putin's been acting, they seem to be re-joining the "non-democratic regions of the world".

[familyop]

Pinging...

The Russian Federation is allying with the terrorists of the world--not only selling weapons for economic reasons.

From an older post:
"Russian FM To Israel: Chechnya No, Palestine and Iranian Nukes Yes"
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1210302/posts
Lavrov said the international community considers the West Bank and Gaza as occupied territory, but concerning Chechnya, the Russian Foreign Minister wondered aloud, "How can one be an occupier in his own country? Chechnya is part of Russia."

As we've seen with a diversion propaganda campaign here, our President sees (or will see) that the Russian leaders will do nothing more than attempt to change the topic of discussion and point their fingers back at us on unrelated matters.

I hope that our Admistration strategists will make the opposition agree on the topic matter for the discussion and refuse to deviate from the topic.

[Rate_Determining_Step]

How's the good President these days? They said he'd recover. Damn, he sure looked awful there.

[eclectic]

To tell you the truth, I don't know why we keep beating up on Russia. Russia is much less of a threat than the Islamists. The Cold War is over. Give it a rest.

The great geopoliticall chess play continues as usual. Russia is the most dangerous opponent having a great strategic advantage: much more territory, more resources, esp. oil, global warming can only benefit them, etc, etc. They are still the only player who can actually destroy America. They are not friends of America and not to be underestimated in any case

[Dan from Michigan]

Russia is fed up with being lectured by the West

Welcome to the party, pal.

[printhead]

I believe that's the "Donald" doing the pointing. May be that
the gentleman needs to pay more attention.

[Brilliant]

I don't blame them for being fed up with it. Of course, the way to avoid it is to straighten up.

[thoughtomator]

We're tired of their weapons sales to terrorist states.

[self_evident]

To tell you the truth, I don't know why we keep beating up on Russia. Russia is much less of a threat than the Islamists. The Cold War is over. Give it a rest.

And the main thing they get beat up over is that they actually fight the terrorists in Chechnya.

Damn them!

BTW did you notice that one of the people arrested attempting to attack a polling station in Iraq was Chechnyian?

[self_evident]

We're tired of their weapons sales to terrorist states.

*cough* Saudi Arabia, Egypt *cough*

[thoughtomator]

The governments of those states are not supplying weapons to terrorists (as far as we know, anyway). It is plain and obvious that Russian clients - specifically Syria and Iran - are open sponsors of terrorists.

[LibWhacker]

They had so much so wrong for so long, OF COURSE we're gonna lecture them!!! What do they expect? It's like the class dunce standing up and announcing, "Okay, okay, I've got it!" But does he really have it, or is he just saying he has it?

The teacher will watch the dunce like a hawk no matter what the dunce says, and rightfully so!