Posted on 03/13/2024 11:13:07 PM PDT by Chad C. Mulligan
As I walk around Borovsk, two things strike me about this town 60 miles (100km) from Moscow.
First, there is almost no sign of the presidential election coming up this weekend.
I see few election banners or billboards and no political flyers being handed out.
Not surprising, really. The absence of election preparations mirrors the absence of drama surrounding a stage-managed event that will hand Vladimir Putin a fifth term in the Kremlin.
The other thing you can't help noticing in Borovsk is the street art. It's everywhere.
Much of it has been created by street artist Vladimir Ovchinnikov. All over town his work stares down from walls and buildings.
Most of his paintings are uncontroversial. Like the giant globe recounting the town's history. Or the image of a famous footballer.
Increasingly, though, when Vladimir paints a picture of today's Russia, it turns out very dark.
"I call this one Pinnacle of Ambition," the 86-year-old artist tells me. The painting he's showing me at home features a man in a martial arts uniform walking a tightrope over a mountain of human skulls.
"This is what the ambition of someone high up in power can lead to."
More dramatic still is his image of two meat grinders mincing people - one is labelled 1937 (the year of Stalin's Great Terror); the other Special Military Operation (Russia's war in Ukraine).
"We haven't learnt any lessons," concludes Vladimir.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...
"The Kremlin not only controls television in Russia, it manages the entire political system, elections included.
President Putin faces no serious challenge as he seeks a fifth term in office. His most vocal critics have either fled into exile or been jailed at home. Mr Navalny, his fiercest opponent, is dead.
But the Kremlin likes to boast that Russia has the 'best democracy' in the world. So, along with Mr Putin on the ballot are three officially authorised challengers from Russia's Kremlin-friendly parliament."
Same with Biden. We are going to have another sham election here.
While a cancelled election in Ukraine prevents Ukrainians from ousting Zelenskyy.
Can you please provide a link to a post where someone here said anything even resembling this?
Nah, he can't.
He's a mouthy n00b who's a sissy for Mistress Vicky Nuland.
So, I guess it’s true that you like the BBC...
To which I ask, what right do we have to criticize another country’s elections?
Is posting articles critical of Russisn elections a way of making yourself feel better about American elections?
That is very obvious, but I thought we should give him a chance to prove that he is not completely full of doo doo.
That was my thinking.
Substitute biden for Putin and this will be our headline in a few months.
I would prioritize my life over running for President in Russia.
I don’t care
You'll notice Chad-Karen's FR inception date - conveniently, a couple of weeks after The Steal of 2020 - so we don't know his position on many important FR controversies...
I ain't gonna give him a Mulligan on that question.
Tell our state department guys “better luck next color revolution”.
From 1981 to 2009 we either had a Bush or a Clinton in the WH as President or Vice President. And in 2008 we had a Clinton running for President. And in 2016 a Clinton as the Dem candidate for President with another Bush (Jeb) running for the nomination.
Trump just received his third consecutive nomination to run for the Presidency against Biden who is running for re-election and who served as VP from 2009 to 2017. Biden received allegedly a record 81 million votes while campaigning from his basement.
People who live in glass houses….
Search "globohomo". One of the favorite words used by the Moscophiles.
It’s not comparable.
Ukraine is fighting an invasion against a foe that flattened several hundred towns, and a city; that bombed a civilian theater which was clearly marked as having women and children inside; and which pounded a maternity hospital one week after a Ukrainian film crew proved it was still fully operating as a maternity hospital not as a base for Azov.
Its constitution, like the British constitution did during World War 2, and like many others, allows elections to be postponed until it’s safe to hold elections without making the general public an easy target.
You’re talking from an incredibly lucky position. America has come under two spot attacks in a century: Pearl Harbor and 9/11. Cry the rest of us a river. When the USA has to hold elections while undergoing sustained aerial bombardment from a determined enemy, you might finally get some real world perspective (or, as the rest of us would call it, common sense) and put in an amendment to the Constitution to allow postponement too.
Sure, Zelenskyy is exploiting a situation but that situation exists because Russia is hell bent on taking over large parts of Ukraine.
And, the same criticism can be levelled at the FAKE governments of the FAKE republics (LPR and DPR).
Don’t know if you noticed but they both spent eight years blocking free and fair elections even after telling the Kremlin that for two years straight their “existential threat” from the Azov brigades translated to a paltry single digit body count per month...
Over a 300 mile long front.
And now they’re holding elections they’re going door to door with gunmen asking folks to vote for Putin on the spot ... or else.
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