Russia 'tired of West's lectures'

CNN ^ | February 13, 2005

[Tailgunner Joe]

MUNICH, Germany (Reuters) -- Russia is fed up with being lectured by the West on democracy but is willing to discuss the issue frankly at a summit with the United States this month, Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said on Sunday.

Eight days after U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Moscow must show its commitment to "the basics of democracy," Ivanov said Moscow was ready for an open exchange when presidents George W. Bush and Vladimir Putin meet.

"We're ready to discuss any issues with the U.S. side, and not only to give answers but also ask questions," Ivanov told journalists at the Munich Security Conference in Germany.

"Democracy is not a potato that you can transplant from one kitchen garden to another. I believe that in recent years democracy in Russia has been developing normally."

He added: "We are prepared to calmly move further in this direction, developing democracy and integrating into the global economic system, but while doing so we prefer to be masters of our own house."

Bush is due to meet Putin on February 24 in the Slovak capital Bratislava. Rice said this month that Russia should show the world it was committed to the rule of law, an independent judiciary and a free press.

[self_evident]

Saudi Arabia has been the major cash supplier for Hamas, and the roots and financial base for Al Queda (and the Taliban) was clearly SA. And we know that Egypt winks and nods at weapons transfers through the tunnels into Gaza.

Not saying either is right, obviously. But we would get a lot further with Russia if we drank our own medicine.

[self_evident]

The teacher will watch the dunce like a hawk no matter what the dunce says, and rightfully so!

That's actually a very good point heh.

[jb6]

So where's the proof. There is as much proof for that (by the way, Dioxin has no known fatalities) as the French claim that we blew up our own Pentagon.

[ken21]

let's see:

jewish orgs are moving jewish people to america and israel for fear of rising anti-semitism in russia

putin's jailed jewish oil execs because putin feared a nascent democracy

putin's restricting american oil firms from bidding on oil in russia

and the list goes on....

[jb6]

That good president was busy meeting with Hildabeast, Liberman and McCrazy. This after the EU had to beat him off with a stick. He's also very busy kissing up to Schrodder and Chirac after announcing an accelerated pull out schedule.

[thoughtomator]

I think you are missing the key element here - US weapons are not going to terrorists via a single proxy - Russian weapons are.

[jb6]

PLO, KLA, Pakistan

[jb6]

Saudi Arabia isn't? Funny, they and Pakistan were the only ones to recognize and actively fund the Taliban, not to mention Al Quida.

[thoughtomator]

Not from the government, not after we had words with them.

[jb6]

That's why they are still banning any FBI investigations and execute any and all prisoners before we can interview them. The Saudis control all the media and the mosques and those still pump out mass anti-Americanism at every opportunity.

[thoughtomator]

Are you telling me you can see no substantial difference between Saudi behavior and Iranian behavior?

[pointsal]

I will be this Ukranian fellow could add a few paragraphs to the Russian lecture notes.

[Brian Allen]

<< "Democracy is not a potato that you can transplant from one kitchen garden to another." >>

Specially not after you have had it made into vodka and have consumed it on the way to your "normally developed" "democracy."

Or to your One Hundred Million Dollar ill-gotten-gains-acquired South-of-FRance chateau.

[Darkwolf377]

LOL

Hmmm, maybe there is a hidden message in there...or an inadvertent one...

[Brian Allen]

<< Hmmm, maybe there is a hidden message in there...or an inadvertent one... >>

A FReudian and/or alcoholic slip, methinks.

[jb6]

Yes there is a difference, the Saudis do it more covertly and then spend $50 million in DC to make sure they've got their backs covered from our cruise missiles.

[Ciexyz]

btt

[JasonC]

Because they give nuclear technology to Iran, flak for North Korea, provide advanced arms to both of those and to Syria, talk the talk but only to pull the wool over our eyes while they back all of our enemies and make as many messes for us as possible. Including recklessly playing with nuclear fire. They are not remotely our friends. And as long as they behave in such ways, we would be entirely right to do everything in our power to tear down everything they touch. We don't because we are saps.

[jb6]

By the way, Vodka is made out of pure grain alcohol, that is wheat. Russians and other eastern Europeans have been making Vodka for about 1,000 years, ever since wheat was bred/cross polinated enough to allow large enough kernals that had enough sugar in them to create Vodka. Before that, like most northern Europeans they drank meed.

Now the potatoe thing is something the Poles came up with and call it Vodka and that's been around for about 2-300 years.

[jb6]

Actually they don't give arms to Korea, well not north Korea. South Korea, however has several divisions of T-80Us facing off with N.Koreas T-62s. As for Iran, that's civilian nuke technology, it's our "ally" Pakistan who keeps giving them Chinese tech (formerly our tech until Clinton came to town) to the Iranians. There was an article posted today again underlying that fact.

Further, they helped us out with Afghanistan by directly arming the Northern Alliance that over threw the Taliban. A lot of those N.Alliance tanks came with slavic crews already inside.

Syria is another matter. That is dumb, plain, dumb, especially when those weapons are just as likely to end up in Chechnya as in Baghdad. They also arm the Israelies and provide Israel with most of its oil.