The sad state of Russia

[fornax]

Originally posted by: borosp1
In Putin's Russia he authorizes torture and kidnapping of regular citizens from potential breakaway republics. In the so called free economy they force a owner of an oil company on some phony charges to give up his company and sent the guy to jail so Russia can own the oil company.

So you think Putin actually sits down and personally authorizes kidnappings? Even if he was the monster you paint him to be, I'm sure he would find many underlings who would do the dirty stuff for him. And compared to that deranged zealot Bush, Putin is a mild-mannered gentleman. How many thousands of people have we kidnapped, tortured, and still keep in prison without charges? We've killed tens of journalists and suddenly we care about Anna Politkovskaya, who was virtually unknown in Russia but we're trying to make the big investigative reporter out of her?

This doesn't mean that Russia doesn't have serious problems. Their judicial system is a joke, corruption and nepotism are rampant, local officials often act like despots in their own fiefdoms, but the situation is gradually improving.

Have you ever wondered why we didn't speak a word when Eltsin was in power? The situation was many times worse, people were literally dying of hunger, Russia was being robbed blind, people close to power got immensly rich in rigged privatization deals, and anyone opposing Eltsin or his cohorts was very quickly and efficiently silenced. But if you remember, our press was full of praise, Boris was our boy and we cared about democracy in Russia about as much as we care about democracy in Iraq right now.

 

[Trianon]

Originally posted by: fornax

So you think Putin actually sits down and personally authorizes kidnappings? Even if he was the monster you paint him to be, I'm sure he would find many underlings who would do the dirty stuff for him. And compared to that deranged zealot Bush, Putin is a mild-mannered gentleman. How many thousands of people have we kidnapped, tortured, and still keep in prison without charges? We've killed tens of journalists and suddenly we care about Anna Politkovskaya, who was virtually unknown in Russia but we're trying to make the big investigative reporter out of her?

This doesn't mean that Russia doesn't have serious problems. Their judicial system is a joke, corruption and nepotism are rampant, local officials often act like despots in their own fiefdoms, but the situation is gradually improving.

Have you ever wondered why we didn't speak a word when Eltsin was in power? The situation was many times worse, people were literally dying of hunger, Russia was being robbed blind, people close to power got immensly rich in rigged privatization deals, and anyone opposing Eltsin or his cohorts was very quickly and efficiently silenced. But if you remember, our press was full of praise, Boris was our boy and we cared about democracy in Russia about as much as we care about democracy in Iraq right now.

Glad to see some participants of this discussion formulated objective view of the situation.

 

[Trianon]

Originally posted by: Martin
Its sad to see everything in Russia take a turn towards this horrible authoritarianism. I remember a time when there was talk of them joining the EU, hah. The worst thing is that even while this is happening, they're getting richer and are trying to assert themselves more. I suppose the silver lining is that with low birth rates and life expectancy, its population is projected to decline from 143m to 111m by 2050, making it considerably smaller compared to other nations.

Found another interesting article on the topic:

More broadly, when NATO expands to Russia's front and back doorsteps, gobbling up former Soviet-bloc members and republics, it is "fighting terrorism" and "protecting new states"; when Moscow protests, it is engaging in "cold war thinking." When Washington meddles in the politics of Georgia and Ukraine, it is "promoting democracy"; when the Kremlin does so, it is "neoimperialism." And not to forget the historical background: When in the 1990s the US-supported Yeltsin overthrew Russia's elected Parliament and Constitutional Court by force, gave its national wealth and television networks to Kremlin insiders, imposed a constitution without real constraints on executive power and rigged elections, it was "democratic reform"; when Putin continues that process, it is "authoritarianism."

the rest is HERE

I would have to say that at although I am not involved in US-Russia relationships on the highest level, from my experience working for US military supplier and working similar place in Ukraine, it's sad to see that my new homeland is doing that to the old one, where I still have relatives, etc...

 

[bamacre]

Originally posted by: techs
Putin scares me more than Kim Il Jong

He's certainly more intelligent.