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Russians Outlaw Criticism of Govt on Internet
neekas backlog ^ | 1/27/05 | neeka

Posted on 01/28/2005 6:45:05 AM PST by blackminorcapullets

I heard about it from Mishah first, and then it was on yesterday's NTV evening news: a Russian-language web portal called the Russian National Literary Network has issued a "Directive on Limiting the Themes of Literary Works."

The Directive mainly concerns two of the Network's writing sites, Proza.ru (prose) and Stihi.ru (poetry). At a glance, the sites resemble a cross between Zoetrope.com and LiveJournal.com, inviting aspiring authors to post their work for review by other members. As of 9 pm today, Proza.ru has 22,313 members, 188,457 stories and 277,077 reviews; Stihi.ru lists 67,115 members, 1,609,066 poems and 2,132,558 reviews.

Even though today Dmitriy Kravchuk, the Network's coordinator and the author of the Directive, has postponed the implementation of the Directive "due to the negative reaction of the literary community and the discovery of a number of shortcomings," its text still appears online.

Here's its translation:

The Directive on limiting the themes of literary works published on the Internet resources of the Russian National Literary Network

1. On the Internet resources of the RNLN it is forbidden to publish literary works and forum messages covering the following themes:

- The special operation of the Russian troops in the Chechen Republic during 1991-2004 [actually, the so-called "special operation" officially began on Dec. 11, 1994, not in 1991...]

- Terrorist acts against citizens of the Russian Federation

- Opposition of certain citizen groups to implementation of the Laws of the RF and the Decrees of the President of the RF (in particular, the Law on Monetization of the Benefits [which has caused the Babushka Revolution]

2. On the Internet resources of of the RNLN it is forbidden to publish literary works and forum messages, which include personal mentions (with the first or last name) of individuals belonging to one of the categories of the Class A public officials (in accordance with Appendix 1). At the same time, it is allowed to mention the individual's title, as long as this mention is connected with the execution of state functions and not with his personal qualities [sic].

3. On the Internet resources of of the RNLN it is forbidden to publish literary works and forum messages, which include mentions in a negative context of the Class B public officials (in accordance with Appendix 2). A negative context is the identification of the mentioned individual as a negative literary hero by literary experts affiliated with the RNLN.

4. On the Internet resources of of the RNLN it is forbidden to publish literary works and forum messages, which include mentions in a positive context of the Class C individuals (in accordance with Appendix 3). A positive context is the identification of the mentioned individual as a positive literary hero by literary experts affiliated with the RNLN.

Literary works with content prohibited by this Directive will have to be deleted by their authors before Feb. 1, 2005. If the works containing the prohibited content are discovered after Feb. 1, 2005, the site's moderators are obliged to block the pages and all works of these authors without the possibilty of renewing [membership] later.

Organizational Committee of the Russian National Literary Network

Appendix 1. Categories of the Class A public officials.

It is forbidden to publish literary works, which include personal mentions (first or last name) of individuals belonging to the following categories:

- President of the RF and members of his family - Head of the government and ministers of the RF - Members of the Federation Councils [sic] of the Federal Assembly of the RF - Deputies of the State Duma of the RF who are members of the United Russia faction [the pro-Putin majority in the Russian Parliament] - Governors of the federal centers of the RF - Mayors of the cities of the RF

Appendix 2. Categories of the Class B public officials.

It is forbidden to publish literary works and forum messages, which include mentions in a negative context of individuals belonging to the following categories:

- Heroes of Russia - Heroes of the Soviet Union, who received this title during the Great Patriotic War - Serving officers of the Russian Army, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Federal Security Service, Federal Guards Service, Intelligence Service in the rank higher than the Colonel and First-Rank Captain (inclusive) - Representatives of the RF state on duty - Members of the United Russia Party and the Walking Together public movement [a pro-Putin youth organization]

Appendix 2. Categories of the Class C individuals.

It is forbidden to publish literary works and forum messages, which include mentions in a positive context of individuals belonging to the following categories:

- Individuals wanted by the federal authorities on charges of plotting terrorist acts against RF citizens - Individuals killed as the result of special operations of the Russian troops in the Chechen Republic, those who resisted or were accused of plotting terrorist acts against citizens of the RF - Individuals charged with involvement in international terrorist organizations - State authorities and soldiers of the Fascist Germany of the Great Patriotic War period, as well as individuals who collaborated with the Fascist Germany

After wasting an hour translating this, I'm more or less speechless. The only thing I can say is that this once again confirms my view that Stalin was ourselves, in a way, and Putin is ourselves, too.

***

And here's a translation of a wonderful poem one of the members of Stihi.ru has recently posted on the site:

PRESIDENT by Thinkerbell

PutinPutinPutinPoo! PutinPutinPutinPoo! Poopoopoo! Poopoopoo! PutinPutinPutinPoo!

© Copyright: Thinkerbell, 2005 Code: 1501261784


TOPICS: Politics
KEYWORDS: censor; internet; russia
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To: TapTheSource

"Did you translate the original post yourself? If you did, I would like to tap your abilities in the future. Is that ok. Thanks--TTS"

If he translated it himself, he a.) either did not understand it correctly, or b.) blatantly misrepresented what is written on the site.


81 posted on 01/30/2005 7:28:39 PM PST by koba37
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To: jb6

Amen JB6! Well put. BTW, I actually was able to observe the previous Duma elections. From what I saw, the polls were well more organized than ours. Also, the younger generation is more politically astute than our own. Oh, whoops, I mean, Damn them all. Commies! They want to take us over. There, is that better, TTS, and Blackdropletsofhate?


82 posted on 01/30/2005 7:30:54 PM PST by koba37
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To: koba37

You are very correct and that has been a practice from the Tsars on down, to make sure the Prosecutors didn't have grounds on you. Further, the Russian word for illegal is Nelegalnayo or ProtivZakonaya (against the law). The whole first paragraph was ignored from the linked document too, which explained it's company policy.


83 posted on 01/30/2005 7:31:12 PM PST by jb6 (Truth = Christ)
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To: jb6

jb6

Wow - what a list of non issue straw man arguments.

Who cares about those so called "propaganda" items that are very convenient for you.

I rather talk about the Kremlins ham handed attempt to takeover Ukraine.



"Yushchenko: 'Live And Carry On'
Jan. 30, 2005

It's a plot straight out of spy novel. A presidential candidate in the heart of Europe is
stricken by a mystery poison that disfigures his face and nearly kills him.

But this is no fiction. It's the story of how Ukraine's new president, Viktor Yushchenko,
triumphed over his country's authoritarian rulers, while leading a massive people-power
revolution.

For the first time since his inauguration, Yushchenko tells his incredible story to CNN's
Christiane Amanpour, on assignment for 60 Minutes.

In Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, the walls of St. Michael's Monastery of the Golden Domes
resonate with a painful history. Demolished by Stalin's henchmen, this 12th century
cathedral has been rebuilt from scratch, a task almost as monumental as the one faced by
Yushchenko, Ukraine's new president.

"It's a huge responsibility," says Yushchenko. "Ukrainians have dreamt of being free for
centuries. So no one expected we'd come so close to dictatorship."

And that might have happened if the plot to poison Yushchenko had succeeded. It has
completely disfigured him.

"You challenged people about your face," says Amanpour. "You said that your face is
everything that is wrong with Ukraine. What do you mean by that?"

"People cry when they see my face, but my country has also been disfigured," says
Yushchenko. "Now, we'll bring both back to health."

How does he deal with his disfigurement now? "This Yushchenko," he says, "I'm still not
used to."

Six months ago, when he began his campaign to unseat Ukraine's authoritarian rulers, did
he have any idea that it would be so difficult and that he would go through such personal
hardship?

"I know what kind of country I live in, and who's in charge of the government," says
Yushchenko. "But I didn't think they'd be cynical enough to poison me."

Ignored by Ukraine's highly controlled media, Yushchenko's grassroots campaign against
government corruption was somehow starting to catch on. He barnstormed the country with
his American-born wife, Katherine, often at his side.

"He was a great threat to the old system, where there was a great deal of corruption,
where people were making millions, if not billions," says Katherine, whose parents were
Ukrainian immigrants to Chicago.

She was used to straddling two worlds, but nothing prepared her for Ukraine's poisoned
politics.

"The whole purpose of what they did, I believe now, was to keep him out of the campaign,
to knock him out," says Katherine. "They tried to destroy him politically, and I always
feared that when they were not successful, they would try to then do something
physically."

She also feared that something would happen to her family. And then, suddenly it did. On
Sept. 6, Yushchenko fell critically ill, and no one in Ukraine could explain why.

"It was a very, very, very difficult situation," says Katherine. "Many of the doctors told
us that they were, that they just had never experienced somebody having so much pain for
so many unknown reasons."

He had symptoms like a swollen pancreas, stomach ulcers, and a crippling backache. His
family rushed him to a clinic in Austria, but Dr. Michael Zimpfer was just as baffled by
his seemingly unrelated symptoms.

"That made us suspicious," says Zimpfer. "We inform the patient that we never saw an
identical clinical picture before, and we suspect, don't know yet, but we suspect that
there might be an act of bio-terrorism or poisoning behind that."

The doctors struggled to save his life, but they couldn't keep him in bed for long. Eight
days later, Yushchenko insisted on going home with tubes dripping painkillers inserted
right into his spine.

Did Katherine ever try to dissuade him? "He knew he had to go forward and there was no
turning back," she says.

Three days after returning to Kiev, Yushchenko faced down his political enemies in
parliament. They had mockingly attributed his mystery illness to bad sushi or excessive
drinking. But no could explain why his face was so horribly swollen.

"Look at my face, this is a fraction of the problems I've had," said Yushchenko in
parliament. "This isn't a problem of cuisine; we're talking about the Ukrainian political
kitchen, where assassinations can be ordered. You know very well who the killer is. The
government is the killer."

But the government brushed off these allegations, until the hard proof came in. Three
months after Yushchenko first fell ill, a lab in Amsterdam reported dioxin levels in his
blood that was 6,000 times above normal.

"This is the highest we've ever seen, and one of the highest ever reported," says Bram
Brouwer, who runs the lab. "And it fits very well with the symptoms that are now observed,
with Mr. Yushchenko's face, the chloracne."

The evidence that Yushchenko was poisoned was now irrefutable. Dioxin, one of the world's
most toxic chemicals, was responsible for the scarring of his face and threatened his
future with cancer. But the question remained. Who carried out this crime?

The attempt to eliminate Yushchenko is as Byzantine as Kiev's skyline, filled with plots
and potential villains. One theory is that he was poisoned by Ukraine's security services,
the old KGB, because just before he fell so gravely ill, he had been invited to dinner by
the security chiefs.
Yushchenko and his hosts shared crayfish, salad and a few beers, and ironically they had
been meeting to discuss the death threats against him.

Ukraine's security services deny they had anything to do with the poisoning. Their
director had in fact been helping the Yushchenko camp.

Does Yushchenko know who did this to him? "I have no doubts this was by my opponents in
the government, that's who would benefit the most from my death," says Yushchenko.

But there is still the question of how it was done. One way to solve it is to trace the
poison. And some people in Yushchenko's camp think that it came from a Russian chemical
weapons lab.

"Dioxin like this is produced in four or five military labs in Russia, America, and a few
other countries," says Yushchenko. "Our security services have informed me how this
material got into Ukraine, but that evidence is now with our general prosecutor, who
eventually must answer this question."

They must also examine another plot on Yushchenko's life. Ukraine's security services say
a powerful car bomb, targeting Yushchenko's headquarters, was discovered during the
presidential campaign. Two Russian nationals are being interrogated.

Spokesmen for the Russian security services would not comment on either case, but
President Vladimir Putin's role during the election remains controversial. He openly
backed the handpicked successor of the previous regime, coming to Kiev twice to lend his
support.

"President Putin supported your opponent during the election. How do you reconcile with
him," asks Amanpour.

"I'll give him my hand, and l say, 'Vladimir Vladimirovich, let's forget the past and
think of the future,'" says Yushchenko.

This week he did just that, greeting Putin on his first trip abroad after his
inauguration.

"Everyone now understands only Ukrainians have the right to choose Ukraine's president,"
says Yushchenko. "Our president is not elected in Moscow, or anywhere else."

That became apparent when the previous regime tried to steal the presidential election
through massive voting fraud. It triggered what became known as the Orange Revolution, a
spontaneous revolt of outraged citizens who for weeks besieged their own capital

Democracy was finally taking root in a country where greed and corruption had become the
rule of law.

When government troops lined up for what could have ended in an European-style Tiananmen
Square, the people's power of persuasion won the battle of the streets and Yushchenko and
all those who had believed in him triumph in a bloodless revolution.

"The millions who came out on the street showed that they don't want tyranny," says
Yushchenko. "They want freedom."

But what a price for freedom he paid. "Everyone has paid a price," says Yushchenko.

"A lot of people asked me, 'How did you deal with it,' and my answer was always my
husband's alive. My children are alive, I'm alive," says Yushchenko's wife, Katherine. "It
was such a small episode in a huge revolution. Generations of Ukrainians, you could say
centuries of Ukrainians, have dreamed and have fought, and have died for a chance to be
right where we are right now."

"When I heard that millions were praying for me, it went straight to my heart," says
Yushchenko. "But I also felt an obligation to live. To die is not very original, but to
live and carry on -- that's special."


C MMV, CBS Worldwide Inc. All Rights Reserved.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/01/28/60minutes/main670103.shtml


84 posted on 01/30/2005 7:32:11 PM PST by blackminorcapullets
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To: koba37

"observe the previous Duma elections."

Is this the same duma that was considering outlawing all Jewish organizations?


85 posted on 01/30/2005 7:34:04 PM PST by blackminorcapullets
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To: blackminorcapullets

"no it was translated on the blogsite"

And nowhere on Veronika's blog does she state in the translation that it is ILLEGAL. She does have some mistakes in her translation, but mainly due to her English language skills.


86 posted on 01/30/2005 7:35:36 PM PST by koba37
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To: blackminorcapullets

"Is this the same duma that was considering outlawing all Jewish organizations?"

Nope and once again you're misrepresenting the facts. The "Duma" is not considering outlawing all Jewish organizations. There were only 20 Duma reps trying to do this. They are all known "attention mongerers." Well, you're certainly giving them the attention they do not deserve. I congratulate you. BTW, Judaism is one of the 5 officially recognized religions in Russia. To "outlaw" it would require a Duma majority and Putin's signature. It ain't going to happen and the 20 know that. But, they did get on tv, which is what they wanted. One of their ringleaders is a Jew.


87 posted on 01/30/2005 7:38:21 PM PST by koba37
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To: koba37

You've got mail!


88 posted on 01/30/2005 7:38:29 PM PST by jb6 (Truth = Christ)
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To: jb6

For several veterans that have opinions on everything else, I'm surprised that you don't have opinions on which sight they used on the M14 - peep or open - (and every one hated one or the other).


89 posted on 01/30/2005 7:41:51 PM PST by blackminorcapullets
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To: jb6
"Not only that, after spending 30 years building and upholding one of the most despicable regimes in the world, he escapes his master's fate (the firing squad) and makes tons of money selling BS articles as some kind of "expert".

I would say his having been the Chief of Romanian intelligence makes him an expert in his subject area, don't you think? At least Pacepa defected. Putin, on the other hand, spent his life building and upholding the genocidal regime of the Soviet Union as an officer in the dreaded KGB...and now he's the president of "Russia." Apparently the people of Russia had a real love-affair with the KGB, since Putin was elected with "72% of the vote."
90 posted on 01/30/2005 7:42:19 PM PST by TapTheSource
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To: TapTheSource

"I would say his having been the Chief of Romanian intelligence makes him an expert in his subject area, don't you think? At least Pacepa defected. Putin, on the other hand, spent his life building and upholding the genocidal regime of the Soviet Union as an officer in the dreaded KGB...and now he's the president of "Russia." Apparently the people of Russia had a real love-affair with the KGB, since Putin was elected with "72% of the vote.""

So, you want us to believe a "former" Communist who, as a security services agent had to undergo the most vigorous background screening to assure the state that he was extremely dedicated to their cause. After falling afoul of said state for dubious activities he suddenly had a change of heart and defected? Actually, he fled to save his neck. I'd love to hear from the people he oppressed while in his position in Romania, but unfortunately I cannot speak with the dead.

Regarding Putin's popularity. He is about that popular, and the 72% is actually 8 points lower than opinion polls showed prior to the election. Tell me this, would you have rathered Zuganov been elected? Or the radical anti-Semite self-hating Jew Zhirinovsky?


91 posted on 01/30/2005 7:47:04 PM PST by koba37
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To: koba37

"Regarding Putin's popularity. He is about that popular, and the 72% is actually 8 points lower than opinion polls showed prior to the election. Tell me this, would you have rathered Zuganov been elected? Or the radical anti-Semite self-hating Jew Zhirinovsky?"

Ah, I was wondering when one of you were going to get around to bringing that up. Sounds like a typical Soviet election to me...rigged. What do the Communists call it when you present the people with false alternatives to ensure the "right" guy wins?...Thesis, Antithesis, Synthesis.


92 posted on 01/30/2005 7:51:08 PM PST by TapTheSource
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To: TapTheSource

"Ah, I was wondering when one of you were going to get around to bringing that up. Sounds like a typical Soviet election to me...rigged. What do the Communists call it when you present the people with false alternatives to ensure the "right" guy wins?...Thesis, Antithesis, Synthesis."

And you would know that from all of your interaction with Russians and from all that time you spend over there to assess the situation? You're wrong, wrong, wrong. Putin is extremely popular with most people, but hated by Communists, neonazis, anti-Semites, nationalists, and you. You're in "good" company.


93 posted on 01/30/2005 7:55:42 PM PST by koba37
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To: TapTheSource
I would say his having been the Chief of Romanian intelligence makes him an expert in his subject area, don't you think?

Makes him a criminal on the highest level. A Soviet Thug on the level of Stalin's Beria who has escaped justice and makes money off of his life's work of oppressing and exterminating people.

as an officer in the dreaded KGB

Which directive of the KGB? Do you even know that? The border guards were also in the KGB.

Apparently the people of Russia had a real love-affair with the KGB, since Putin was elected with "72% of the vote

Well I guess you hate the Russian people after all, except for the communists, socialists, oligarchs and islamics. What do you know!

94 posted on 01/30/2005 7:58:26 PM PST by jb6 (Truth = Christ)
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To: TapTheSource
Ah, I was wondering when one of you were going to get around to bringing that up. Sounds like a typical Soviet election to me...rigged.

Not according to the OSCE and US observers, unless of course you are actively suggesting that President Bush would help Putin rig an election. Are you?

95 posted on 01/30/2005 8:00:45 PM PST by jb6 (Truth = Christ)
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To: koba37

"You're wrong, wrong, wrong. Putin is extremely popular with most people, but hated by Communists, neonazis, anti-Semites, nationalists, and you. You're in "good" company."

Putin is a Communist/KGB president...a real Communist, as opposed to naive street-level Communists who have most likely been tasked to "oppose" him in order to build his credibility amongst the Russian people (who, I am sure we will both agree, hate the Communists). Wasn't it Hitler who said "The German people have no idea of the extent they had to be gulled in order to be led." Same principle applies here IMO. Read Golitsyn...but don't let them catch you reading him in the Soviet Union/Russia (wouldn't be good for you health).


96 posted on 01/30/2005 8:06:55 PM PST by TapTheSource
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To: jb6
"Apparently the people of Russia had a real love-affair with the KGB, since Putin was elected with "72% of the vote"

You would be unable to recognize sarcasm even if it reached up and slapped you in the face. My point was, given the alternatives, who else were they going to vote for. The election was rigged, not necessarily at the polls, but in terms of who was allowed to run. Typical of the Communists.
97 posted on 01/30/2005 8:10:22 PM PST by TapTheSource
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To: koba37

"After falling afoul of said state for dubious activities he suddenly had a change of heart and defected? Actually, he fled to save his neck."

Again, please cite your sources. When exactly did Pacepa run afoul with his Communist masters???


98 posted on 01/30/2005 8:24:06 PM PST by TapTheSource
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To: koba37

Can I assume by your silence on Golitsyn that you have never read his works???


99 posted on 01/30/2005 8:25:11 PM PST by TapTheSource
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To: TapTheSource

"You would be unable to recognize sarcasm even if it reached up and slapped you in the face. My point was, given the alternatives, who else were they going to vote for. The election was rigged, not necessarily at the polls, but in terms of who was allowed to run. Typical of the Communists."

Your sarcasm was noted and ignored. Name one person, one candidate who was not allowed to run. Why would they need to rig an election that was already in the bag?


100 posted on 01/30/2005 8:36:01 PM PST by koba37
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