Soviet Union is back; the Cold War resumes...

Many in the West would prefer to herald the Beslan tragedy as an opportunity for greater U.S.-Russian cooperation in combating terrorism. In reality, however, relations between Washington and Moscow are following a downward spiral. In Russia we find an emerging dictatorship that espouses a subtle anti-American propaganda. What was previously hidden has come into view: the totalitarians are still in charge. Putin’s pretext for strengthening his dictatorship is found at Belsan, in 350 body bags.

What actually happened at Beslan (where hundreds of children were slaughtered by terrorists)? We still don’t know the facts.

Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya says that the FSB poisoned her on a flight from Moscow to Rostov, effectively keeping her from reaching Beslan. She was not alone in being hindered. Journalist Andrei Babitsky was detained at Vnukovo airport on “a specious pretext.” Russian security personnel drugged Georgian journalist Nana Lezhava’s coffee, putting her out of action at a critical moment. The 55-nation Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) took note of these and other incidents in a “scathing” report on the Kremlin’s handling of the Beslan affair. According to the OSCE, the Kremlin forfeited its credibility by preventing journalists from reaching Beslan. From the outset, Russian authorities told one lie after another. As if to prevent accurate information from reaching the outside world, Russian authorities also interfered with foreign journalists, confiscating television footage.

With Beslan as a pretext, Putin has moved to consolidate his already formidable powers. Russia’s so-called “democracy” is now being liquidated. This is not surprising for those of us who have watched the changes in Eastern Europe since 1989. From the outset, secret totalitarian structures were left beneath the surface to guide the process of liberalization, to herd the new business class and infiltrate the various governments. Organized crime became a prominent tool in this process. The secret creatures of the totalitarian apparatus came to power, as “dissidents” or as “reform communists.” Capitalism and freedom were set up in Eastern Europe with this endgame in mind. It was a confidence scheme; and now the scheme has played itself out. Moscow’s strategic gains have been absorbed, now the reversion begins.

Russia’s so-called “oligarchs” have been driven into exile, frightened into cooperation or arrested. The Kremlin has “cemented its control” over the Russian energy sector. The old Soviet anthem is back. Soviet battle flags have been restored. The founder of the Soviet secret police, whose birthday is Sept. 11, is now openly celebrated. The old KGB has taken Russia by the throat. The West’s alarm, however, is muted by hope. Nobody wants to admit that America’s Cold War victory was equivocal; that step-by-step it is coming undone.

Given the Kremlin’s dishonest behavior during the Beslan affair, would it be outrageous to suggest that the tragic massacre was a provocation organized by the FSB/KGB?

Already Izvestiya is calling Putin’s power-grab “The September Revolution.” Other Russian publications are calling it a “restoration.” Wednesday’s Washington Post featured a story by Peter Baker titled, “Critics Say Putin Must Address Security Corruption.” According to Baker, “Putin … had been planning to centralize … political authority for months and took advantage of the school seizure in Beslan to unveil the decision.” This begs the question. If the liquidation of Russian democracy was planned in advance, then how did Putin think he would justify his blatant power grab to the Russian people? Surely he had something in mind.

The following changes have been proposed by Putin: (1) Regional governors, instead of being elected by the people, will be appointed by Putin and confirmed by regional assemblies; (2) Duma representatives will be selected from party lists, making parliamentary opposition all but impossible; (3) the restoration of the death penalty is being contemplated (suggesting a return to the sanguinary “discipline” of the Stalin era). In keeping with recent developments, we can expect that private companies will be seized on various pretexts, bank accounts will be frozen and businessmen will be arrested as the Kremlin rebuilds its totalitarian machinery. Already the Russian government has announced a 50 percent pay increase for the military.

This so-called “September Revolution” has been greeted with dismay in Washington and London. As one might expect, Vladimir Putin will have none of it. He bluntly tells his Western counterparts to “stay out of Russia’s business.” Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says that America has no right to impose its democratic ideals on others. “This is our internal affair,” he explained. “We, on our side, do not comment on the U.S. system of presidential elections.”

Moscow’s attitude is nothing new. The most distressing fact in all of this, however, is the ultimate non-reaction of the Western elite. There is a strong tendency to self-deception in Washington, especially where Russia is concerned, and this tendency is struggling mightily against truth. And what is this truth? Former FSB officer Alexander Litvinenko spelled it out in his book when he described Putin’s objective as “the total destruction of the foundations of a constitutional society built on the admittedly frail but, nonetheless, democratic values of a market economy” in Russia.

The failure of freedom in Russia is a major event. No other country is as dangerous as Russia. No other country has thousands of nuclear weapons pointed at America. None has missiles as advanced as Russia’s. None has a submarine fleet as large. To rate Russia as “just another country” is to negate the last 100 years of history.

I should like to end with a quote from Bill Gertz’s new book, Treachery: “The record of Russian proliferation – to Iraq and other dangerous countries – is long. Classified intelligence reports show that for more than a decade Moscow used its arms sales to rogue states as a strategic hammer against the United States.”

"Putin's hanging on by his fingernails, and you think he's Stalin."

Putin's pulling of a coupe...democracy in Russian is hanging on by it's fingernails. And he's not Stalin, he simply celebrates Stalin's birthday.

With the seven carrier groups that recently headed to the east side of the Pacific Rim, a lot of people were enlightened by recent Chinese publications of attitude against us. Now we're trying to make sure that few are surprised when the news comes along that the "Russian Federation" government isn't being a friendly to us or its own people. See the new and slightly old news behind the following link. I wish some detrimental notions of power here and there in the world would go away more quickly too, but it doesn't often work out that way.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1219660/posts?page=132#132

"Putin belongs to the Russian Orthodox church."

So the Russian Orthodox church believes it's fine to prop up the brutal and demented North Korean dictator, a man who slaughters his own people in the thousands, and to give him missile technology to threaten his neighbors with?

So the Russian Orthodox church believes it's alright to provide nuclear technology to the islamic nation of Iran, a rogue state openly threatening a Christian nation?

So the Russian Orthodox church believes it's alright to violate international agreement and illegal sell advances weapons to a nation under sanctions...that Russia publicly agreed to?

It has been apparent for some time that Russia and China are allied against the US. They cooperated on Iraq, NK, and Iran, the Bush axis of evil. Their tactic is to shove straw men out to engage the United States and set back while the US expends its resources and manpower. We won the first leg of the Cold War by bankrupting Russia in the Russian-Afghanistan occupation. Now it is our turn to lick the wounds.

The Chinese have us by the economic throat and the Chinese have combined with Russia on their military up grades. Terrorism is a constant annoyance, but our survival depends on being able financially and militarily able to compete with the figures behind the scenes, not the latest straw man shoved out to confront us. Stalin was right when he said that communism would be able to sell us the rope to hang ourselves. So far, we have cooperated fully in our relations with Red China.

So the Russian Orthodox church believes it's fine to prop up the brutal and demented North Korean dictator

Actually the Russian Orthodox church, or more specifically Putin, just got that brutal and demented dictator to build them a church. In North Korea.

Russian is one of our enemies

I would be really interested what you think of China in a long term.
I, personally, am very apprehensive about them. Imagine how much money is the government racking in from our wallets.
I'll give you a link on the Internet Chinese TV news. The way they talk about Taiwan, you got to listen.

Well who is next? Russia, US, Europe, Canada? Who knows?

My bet; Russia.

Anyway, the link: http://beelinetv.com/ - scroll down to "English TV - CCTV-9"

It has been apparent for some time that Russia and China are allied against the US

Hmm. I just read that our good friends, the Saudis, are cutting back significantly on oil for us and giving it to China instead.

If Kerry wins, Putin loses, and Russia descends into the REAL chaos and mischief some Freepers imagine the Russkies are involved in now.

I know a number of first generation Russian emigres. They respect and like Putin, they HATED the drunkard Yeltsin. They've described the post-Kremilin organized crime dynamic that sent a lot of that ordinance to North Korea, Iraq, Iran etc. Putin is trying to rein that in. One of the toughest jobs in the world.

Take that for what it is worth.

So the Russian Orthodox church believes it's alright to provide nuclear technology to the islamic nation of Iran, a rogue state openly threatening a Christian nation?

So the Russian Orthodox church believes it's alright to violate international agreement and illegal sell advances weapons to a nation under sanctions...that Russia publicly agreed to?

I assume by your respone that either the Russian Orthodox church is very liberal in it's attitude towards arming non-Christian dictators or that devotion is subordinate to the state.

"I would be really interested what you think of China in a long term."

Long term, one of the things that worries me about China is Putin rearming them with modern systems. Yes, the way they talk about Taiwan is scary...and Russian is providing them with military capabilities they didn't have before.

LOL! A church in exchange for advanced missile systems. Putin sells out cheap. Now, back to the questions you haven't answered:

So the Russian Orthodox church believes it's alright to provide nuclear technology to the islamic nation of Iran, a rogue state openly threatening a Christian nation?

So the Russian Orthodox church believes it's alright to violate international agreement and illegal sell advances weapons to a nation under sanctions...that Russia publicly agreed to?

I assume by your respone that either the Russian Orthodox church is very liberal in it's attitude towards arming non-Christian dictators or that devotion is subordinate to the state.

I agree with you on watching the nutty Chinese dictators and their designs on their neighbors. We have carrier groups and other efforts covering that one and others during this critical period, according to widely broadcast news after those groups left our shores. ...don't want others to move against us or our allies when and if we have to make another defense move.

But please do have a look at some of the material behind the following if you haven't.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1219660/posts?page=132#132

My reading of Putin is that he is an undeniably intelligent and crafty individual. What I think is going to happen is this -

1. Democracy will be subdued but not eliminated entirely. I believe Putin is clever enough to realise that public expression of dissatisfaction is a safety valve for his regime. Oh, he'll pick at and hit isolated targets, but for the most part, there will be a limited democracy in Russia.

2. Capitalism will gain strength, but will be controlled - namely, if a big businessman gets into a position where he can threaten Putin's authority, he'll knock him out.

Overall, we are talking about a quasi-authoritarian regime with democratic features being established in Russia. Is this regime going to be hostile to Western interests? It is not a cut-and-dried yes or no, because not all Russian interests dovetail with Western interests. Neither are they always opposed. Russia is always going to be a unique nation, and its best to think of it as such.

Regards, Ivan

"I don't actually speak for the church."

Don't be so modest. Over the last couple of days you have been speaking for the church and Putin's faith regularly. You even emphasize your work with photos.

So YOU believe it's fine to prop up the brutal and demented North Korean dictator, a man who slaughters his own people in the thousands, and to give him missile technology to threaten his neighbors with?

So YOU believe it's alright to provide nuclear technology to the islamic nation of Iran, a rogue state openly threatening a Christian nation?

So YOU believe it's alright to violate international agreement and illegal sell advances weapons to a nation under sanctions...that Russia publicly agreed to?

Now you won't be speaking for the church, just your own Christian values.

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