Posted on 08/13/2007 3:06:55 PM PDT by propertius
One of the nastier manifestations of the culture of spin for which the Blair administration became notorious was its tendency to brief against its dissidents (informally, of course) by casting doubt on their mental health.
Clare Short and the late Mo Mowlam were both subjected to the slur, and we were even told that Gordon Brown was "psychologically flawed".
Distasteful as these slanders were, however, they could do little harm while Britain retained an accountable executive and a psychiatric profession of unimpeachable probity.
Things are different in modern Russia, where, as we report in horrifying detail today, it takes only modest influence to secure the incarceration and chemical torture of a business rival, wealthy relative or prosecution witness, and where the sectioning of citizens hostile to the Kremlin seems set to become once more a fact of political life.
That Vladimir Putin is still treated by civilised nations, especially those of the G8, as the president of a democracy is an indictment of their cowardice, for since he came to power Russia has again become a corrupt dictatorship, barely distinguishable from the Soviet Union under Khrushchev.
Germany's dependency on Russian energy, combined with the timidity of some of its neighbours, has helped smother European protests at Putin's behaviour.
So the sea-bed under the North Pole now ludicrously bears a Russian flag, and aerial sparring with Nato, abandoned after the Cold War, has been resumed.
In its firm diplomatic response to Russian arrogance over the Litvinenko murder, the British Government has hinted that it is prepared to stand up to a man whose influence will undoubtedly persist long after he formally leaves office next year.
But other countries must follow, before any more of them become enslaved to the need for Russian gas.
The alternative would indeed be madness.
Good article, awesome FReeper homepage!
The Telegraph - a Rupert Murdoch thang.
The Australian Telegraph is. The UK’s Telegraph, where this editorial ran, certainly isn’t.
Right - my bad.
Dennis Kucinich is a fairy princess, in spite of the trophy wife he flaunts.
was nuts, shurely? She died in 2005, I believe...
Propertius has found a detailed article on Larisa Arap.
Ignore the ping, I see you are on this thread.
Ping to articles that detail the mounting evidence of Putin’s return to the evil ways of the past. The second article details the character assasination and totally inhumane treatment of Larisa Arap, a victim of “punitive psychiatry” for daring to speak out against the Kremlin.
As for Putin: once KGB, always KGB. Daily there is mounting evidence against Putin’s claims of Russia being a free, and democratic nation. With the propoganda, rhetoric, indoctrination of youth, intimidation by character assasination, torturing, poisoning and killing political and business rivals, it would seem that indeed Russia has returned to being the USSR of old! What a sad turn of events for Russia’s people who for a short time had a chance for freedom...
Putin can say whatever he wants, but those with eyes and ears plainly see that he has brought Russia back to the days of dictatorships... I wonder if he really will step down next year, or come up with a reason to stay in power?
Thanks to NW_Arizona_Granny for the ping, and a big thank you to properitus for finding and posting these articles.
My father-in-law has the most interesting shade of blue eyes I’ve ever seen... Very light blue and silvery — but kind and gentle — not at all like Putin’s. (And my father-in-law is 100% polish born in Wisconsin — and now lives outside Chicago.(o;)
I’m still wondering how in the world Bush could’ve looked in his eyes and seen warmth, honesty and goodness... He must not have looked very hard, or else Putin has hypnotic powers! LOL I don’t doubt that Putin’s years in the KGB helped him to develop good manipulative skills...
There are also several links to the Larisa Arap attack at this link, including a link to translations:
http://russophobe.blogspot.com/2007/08/arap-saga-continues-now-she-has-proof.html
Thank you! This is such a sad story, and you know for every one we hear about and is reported there are undoutedly more that are being treated this way. Prayers for all in Russia and surrounding countries who stand up against the return to the oppression of Communism...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.