David Frum: Russian democracy is dying

National Post ^ | March 10 2007 | David Frum

[JoeFromSidney]

As for democracies, we do not have a democracy. We have a representative republic. There is a difference.

We had one once. We've been steadily losing it. "Our" government no longer represents us.

Item:

• The country opposes amnesty for illegals by 3 to 1. Congress is going to pass an amnesty bill and the President will sign it.
• Acording to the Kelo decision, any level of government can take your property at any time, for any reason, and pay you what they think it's worth. Effectively, the property rights portion of the Fifth Amendment has been repealed by the Supreme Court.
• According to the Supreme Court, topless dancing is protected by the First Amendment, but a political advertisement isn't (McCain-Feingold).
• The Second Amendment guarantees our right to own guns to protect ourselves against criminals and tyrants. Carolyn McCarthy has introduced what would be the "Assault Weapons Ban" on steroids. If it comes to the floor, it has a good chance of passing. Both of Ohio's senators would vote for it.
• The Fourth Amendment was supposed to prohibit "unreasonable" searches and seizures. The Supreme Court has effectively repealed the entire Amendment. If a cop spots your car with a broken taillight, he has "probable cause" to search your car.

I could go on and on, but why bother? Examples are legion. Our so-called Republic is long gone.

[GBA]

There are a lot of ominous signs that Putin is returning to his roots, assuming he ever left them, which I don't. Wanting Russia to be our friend or just like us isn't going to make it so.

Giving up communism and totalitarian control is sorta like a person giving up some sort of addiction. Rather than give them up completely, they are more likely to find a way to moderate them as a compromise. Soon, the addiction will once again take over and an addict often has many relapses before/if ever recovering completely.

Russia has been Soviet for a long time. They won't be able to give that up easily if at all, though they may look reformed...for a while.

[spanalot]

this IS your father's communism

[goldstategop]

Freedom in the Western sense has always been alien to the Russian mind. I think the discussion is academic since Russia is on its demographic deathbed. Within a few decades, Russia will be majority Muslim.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[GMMAC]

PING!

[Loyalist]

Denazification was greatly aided by the fact that Germany had a classical liberal tradition. Russia does not.

[nw_arizona_granny]

Ping.

[Mr. Jeeves]

Even before Communism "fell", Solzhenitsyn said it would take a hundred years of post-Communist authoritarian rule before Russia could achieve an equal footing with the West.

After an initial burst of optimism, it looks like his prophecy is coming true.

[JadeEmperor]

"Denazification was greatly aided by the fact that Germany had a classical liberal tradition. Russia does not."

I wonder if you ever heard of the medieval Novgorod Republic http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novgorod_Republic Too bad it was eventually subjugated by Moscow and there are 500 years separating modern day Russian from the last independent democratic tradition it had.

[JadeEmperor]

Correction: "and there are 500 years separating modern day Russia from the last independent democratic tradition it had".

[happygrl]

Even before Communism "fell", Solzhenitsyn said it would take a hundred years of post-Communist authoritarian rule before Russia could achieve an equal footing with the West.

Demography indicates that Slavic Russia has less than a hundred years left.

[Timedrifter]

Which is 70 more years than white America has left.

[aculeus]

bttt

[Sam Gamgee]

I don't know. I think its not too hard to bash a KGB tyrant that kills critics abroad and at home.