Posted on 09/18/2006 11:05:49 AM PDT by lizol
The "Yukos Affair", its Motives and Implications
Key points
1. When interpreting the "Yukos affair", it is hard to focus on any single particular motive or explanation that would easily rationalise the government's actions against the company. The "Yukos affair" is a multi-layered process with a number of different reasons for its cause. When one scrutinises the events around the company, the impression may be obtained that the Kremlin seemed at first not to have had any ultimate strategy; the authorities' position evolved as time went by. At first, the conflict was mainly of a political nature; economic factors did not arise until later, when the oil sector was undergoing changes in ownership.
2. The "Yukos affair" was an important stage in the evolution of Russia's political system, indeed one of its turning points. The attack on Yukos took place - not coincidentally - just before the parliamentary elections, and influenced their results. The authorities' conflict with Russia's largest oil company has brought about a crisis within the political elite, and has ultimately led to a key shift within Vladimir Putin's inner circle. As a result, the 'old' Kremlin elite has lost its one-time significance and political influence, which it had acquired thanks to the former president Boris Yeltsin. Furthermore, the "Yukos affair" brought about serious changes in the relations between government and big business - the business representatives have been ultimately deprived of any possibility to act autonomously.
3. The "Yukos affair" has been a catalyst for a fundamental transformation in the Russian oil sector and the energy sector as a whole. As a result, it has become the key element of these sectors' reorganisation, and has led to the strengthening of the state's position in this sector and the restoration of the state officials' domination thereof.
4. The Kremlin's policy towards the oil sector started changing radically after the presidential elections in March 2004. This was a result of the attack on Yukos, but was also to an extent one of the reasons for this attack. After the elections, the government made noticeable attempts to establish a 'national' oil company controlled by the Kremlin. Initially, the plan was to merge Gazprom and Sibneft; however this scheme failed because of the specific ambitions of individual groups within the Kremlin elite. Later, some attempts were made to establish such a 'national' company on the basis of Rosneft. In each of these scenarios, a sine qua non for establishing the 'nationa' concern was the dismantling of Yukos - as all or most of Yukos' assets were to form the basis for this company.
Okay so you gave a pass to the Chekists but you condemn a daughter for any sins of the mother. No conviction notwithstanding.
How convenient.
Christian = former Chekist. I suspect you are not a Christian, and therefore would not understand the following. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! NIV 2 Co 5:17
Is pitifully peddling Putin propaganda in such a public way via Internet news forums now termed "a Christian stands up for truth",? Talk about the abrupt metamorphosis of the English language!
Next there will be 'Christians for Putin', and 'Hindus for Putin', 'Peruvians for Putin', Yo, maybe even, 'Morons for Putin'. It truly is amazing just where Col Putin, the #1 neo-Soviet arms seller for the Expanded Axis of Pure Evil, has always willing spokesmen.
"Belarus is the only former Soviet republic that did not get higher rates from Moscow last year, The Associated Press reported."
The obvious answer to why Belarus (White Russia) gets preferential energy pricing treatment from Moscow'S leading energy czar & CEO....
Gary, you are going off a path that only you know why. Why suspect anything about my religious beliefs in the first place? But yeah, you're right, I'm not a Christian, I'm Catholic.
And I met a nice Russian girl last night from the Urals. I hope to see Anastaia again real soon. What a sweetheart. :)
Sorry, your reference to the Soviet thugs, re: Chekist/NKVD = Christian is not a comprehendable reference. Those thugs don't reform with all that blood on their hands. They are not with, in or of Christ.
Can you please leave my personal beliefs out of the thread? I'm not running for election here. Who do you think I am George Allen. :)
For your information I consider Catholics Christian. The point you do not seem to grasp is that if a man is a genuine Christian, then his past sins are forgiven and his past is gone. The Apostle Paul prior to being a Christian committed recorded sins far greater than Putin, and yet no one would consider him as being evil. His nature to do evil had changed. Putin is on record as being a Christian, and even prior to the fall of the Iron Curtain voiced his view that the government and KGB should be more open to religion.
Gary,
The humor may have been lost in the old joke about Catholics saying they aren't Christian, they're Catholic.
Let me tell you on the scale of persecution, well ole Saul made some progress and laid some path to his new work as Paul. As for Putin, you can defend him if you choose, I'm not certain why you chose to cite him, but hey, I know Paul and Putin ain't no Paul.
I would tend to agree though with Putin's wife. She called him a vampire.
Gary, with all due respect don't be offended and I mean none when I disparage this song.
If there's one song I don't care to hear one more rendition of in my lifetime, it's that one. I've even muted my TV when someone is doing it.
Now God's grace. That's an entirely different matter and I agree wholeheartedly.
Name one evil thing he has done?
You amaze me.
You want only one? Well I'd be afraid to do that and then we'd have another line of discussion far off the path.
But let me say that I find the control of basic freedoms in the press to be evil.
But that's just me.
Ah gee, thanks but I'm hoping I hear that from Anastasia. :)
"..Our resident kegebuns and their kegebuchie fellow-travelers..":)
Would a real Christian be arming all of America's & Israel's worst enemies?
Russia, under your comrade Col Putin has openly unified with the anti-Western barbarians of the Axis of Evil, yet as an 'American' citizen that fact does not in the least alter your blind, fanatical devotion to that KGB thug. There has to be a reason. Why would any American serve a power mad Kremlin tyrant?
Maybe it explains you having absolutely no shame whatsoever in continuously stating the most obvious, vile Russian propaganda on FR.
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