[Labyrinthos]

There is no denying the brutal history of Stalin, the USSR, and communism in general, which is why I do not believe that hardline Stalinists control Russia and are just waiting for the oppurtunity to take Russia back to her "glory" days as a third rate, third world country, not after having suffered the growing pains of converting from a communist dictatorship to a country that is at least starting to resemble a market driven democracy. The Russian government, no doubt, still has its hard line communists, just as we have them in our Congress and beauracracy, but that doesn't mean they're about to lunch a nuclear war against us at the end of the month.

[milkncookies]

Please tell me where I said they would launch a nuclear war against us. My point is this: When it comes from Russia in print or word, believe nothing of what you hear, and only half of what you see. Unless you can convince me that the Communist dialectic in Russia, and specifically the Kremlin, is dead and buried, and I doubt you can, I might consider reviewing my current position. That is, by the way, my opinion.

[Calpernia]

>>>>I do not believe that hardline Stalinists control Russia and are just waiting for the oppurtunity to take Russia back to her "glory" days

I have NO background history to speak interactively on this. I will say I am President of Rivne Regional Charitable Fund in the Ukraine (for funding only). I said yesterday on this thread that I'm on email newsletter mailings with regard to news of the Ukraine.

I'm guilty of merely skimming a few newsletters here and there and then popping them into a file folder.

But from just skimming a few now, I don't think you have enough information to make your statements on. Cause there were quite a few pieces I just found that make statements to the fact that there are still Stalin supporters that are in charge and trying to keep/take back control. I think the people in the Ukraine are in a better position to know than you.

Snippets:
>>>>>
The Soviet government does not allow photographs to be taken of the famine victims, does not allow foreign journalists to cover
what happens, does not allow international relief agencies to bring in food and medical supplies, does not allow artists, writers, poets, composers or anyone else to depict in anyway tragic events. The Soviet government strongly denies to the world that millions of people die as a direct result of the repressive political actions taken by Stalin's people and the Soviet government.
>>>>>>>>

Russia's position is clear: historically, the Azov [Sea] was part of the
Soviet Union's inland waters, Kalyuzhnyy said. "The positive experience of
jointly using the sea cannot be continued," he said. "Russia insists on this and now
that our peoples cannot sail and fish freely wherever it is allowed, so that no
existing border problems are created [as received]."

"We should be reasonable and take account of our experience, when we used
the water jointly and had no problems," Kalyuzhnyy said. "We are closing
borders down at a time when all of Europe is opening borders up. Neither the
economies, nor the peoples need this," he said. (END) (ARTUIS)
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Kiev, 6 November: The Our Ukraine bloc, the Yuliya Tymoshenko Bloc and the
Socialist Party of Ukraine have said that "the current authorities led by
President [Leonid] Kuchma are assuming the character of a bandit
dictatorship". A statement issued by the three political forces said that
"the presidential administration, local state administrations and
law-enforcement bodies have been turned into a repression machine which is
used against political opponents".

"The entire country has seen that the authorities and security services have
long been used to persecute the opposition - the Socialists, the Yuliya
Tymoshenko Bloc, Our Ukraine and their leaders. The events in Donetsk of
29-31 October have become one of the examples of lawlessness, and shown to
entire Ukraine and the world community the face of the criminal regime which
is being established in Ukraine," the statement said.
>>>>>>>>>>

Kiev, 5 November: The government of Viktor Yanukovych "has not been
able to prevent the growth in the price of bread and bears responsibility,
together with the parliamentary majority that formed it, for the situation
that has arisen". This was said in a joint statement on the situation on the
food
market by the leaders of the Socialist Party (Oleksandr Moroz), Communist
Party (Petro Symonenko), Our Ukraine bloc (Viktor Yushchenko) and the
Yuliya Tymoshenko Bloc.

The four faction leaders are demanding that the plenary session of the
Supreme Council [parliament] give "immediate consideration" to the situation
on the bread market with the compulsory involvement of Prime Minister
Viktor Yanukovych.

(snip)

"We are outraged that instead of resolving the food market crisis, the
authorities are busy inciting political tension, persecuting political
opponents and trying to deprive citizens of the right to elect their
leaders. All this is being done to distract citizens' attention away from
urgent social-economic problems. But the people want to know the truth
about bread," the statements says. (END) (ARTUIS)
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Lots of mentions of the word Oligarchs too. They seem to associate that word with Stalin Followers.

But my background isn't good enough to follow all of this.

My point is still though, I don't think you have enough background about what may or may not be going on with Stalin followers. The Ukraine Reports contradict it.