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Posted on 08/07/2006 8:29:12 AM PDT by Renfield
I am convinced that Putin and the FSB are behind a lot of the international trouble we face.
I don't know about Putin. I think Putin is continuously paraded out to keep the focus off of Gorbachev.
Gorbachev does his work through the NGOs.
Putin was smart enough to block the NGOs from getting a hold of Russia.
The USA should follow that lead.
I definitely agree with you, but must be careful about what is said. There are an awful lot of Russians living in my community, and few of them speak English. They may understand it, but they don't speak it.
"Gorbachev does his work through the NGOs. "
What's an "NGO"?
Nongovermental Organizations.
Whenever you hear 'funding made possible by grant foundations'...look to NGOs.
Europe, on the other hand, is burying itself in regulation and bureaucratic excess far beyond anything Lenin would have ever dreamed... It'll be interesting to see how things turn out, that's for sure. :)
Oh, please elaborate.
People in southern Russia have the ability to open whatever business they want, with very few restrictions. There are no real zoning laws, no restrictions on building. There's quite a bit of new development, both residential and commercial, and as a result, people are more able to provide for themselves. As an American, it was pretty shocking to see, but at the same time, amazing! (There are still some nagging problems with alcohol, but for the most part, it seems that the youth of southern Russia are ready to overcome the shackles which bound their parents.)
Where in Southern Russia? My understanding is that one can get anything done if they know whom to bribe.
Down in the Kuban, somewhat close to the Black Sea. You're absolutely correct in your understanding - it's quite a different way of life than I'm used to seeing here in the West, but it was truly a pleasant experience. :)
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You are familiar with the second law of thermodynamics, aren't you? Any system tends to assume a state with a minimal potential energy. When applied to sociology, it is called "reversion to the norm". It is a deviation from [and not the predictable concordance with] the norm which would be worthy of notice.
Here's a tough row to hoe for the Russian Wives Club.
"The unfolding of Soviet activity in today’s Russia has been swift and unrelenting. If we look back over the past few months, we see a breathtakingly brazen litany of arrests and prosecutions by the Kremlin of its political foes, in a manner eerily reminiscent of the Soviet days, which have gone unchallenged and indeed virtually unnoticed in the West. "
Of course—that goes without saying! I am merely speaking in terms of the state of the Russian Federation, towards Russians. The dealings of the government with terrorist states is still regrettable.
One huge problem for you Spannie - the majority of the people listed as "victims" of Putin were being investigated for crimes ranging from financial shenanigans to murder. It's a shame these pundits don't do more research before they take up the cause of these people. The thugs in question (like Khodorkovsky, the Volgograd mayor, etc) understand the easiest way to gain sympathy is to claim "oppression" because people in the West are willing to take such claims at face value. It's the equivalent of believing Marc Rich was oppressed by the US Government.
If we think of our boys combating the Iranian armed and trained jihadist killers in Iraq, it is Putin who continuously sells Iran and Syria whatever is on their weapons list. The Israelis are also fully cognizant they too are also fighting the Iranians, and the nation which arms the Islamic enemy of all of us.
As in during the Vietnam War, it was Russian Sams shooting down our U.S. airmen. The only thing that has changed is Putin is far more deceptive in dealing with Western leaders, but the Kremlin's anti-Western goals remain the same.
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