Post #173,813
9/12/04 6:41:28 PM
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russia returning to the bad old days?
[link|http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/story.jsp?story=560807|http://news.independ....jsp?story=560807] Thirteen years ago, democracy-hungry Russians yelped with joy as a statue to one of the Soviet Union's most brutal secret policemen was toppled. Yesterday, in a potent symbol of the new Putinised Russia, a new statue of Felix Dzerzhinsky, founder of what was later to become the KGB, was erected.
Brushing aside the fact that "Iron Felix" presided over Lenin's Red Terror and had the blood of hundreds of thousands of people on his hands, a monument to him was unveiled yesterday in the town which bears his name - Dzerzhinsky - just outside Moscow. The statue was erected to commemorate what would have been his 127th birthday, and its unveiling was reportedly attended by some 300 schoolchildren and officials. putin just put the boot in on who is in charge and how they are going to run the place. thanx. bill These miserable swine, having nothing but illusions to live on, marshmallows for the soul in place of good meat, will now stoop to any disgusting level to prevent even those miserable morsels from vanishing into thin air. The country is being destroyed by these stupid, vicious right-wing fanatics, the spiritual brothers of the brownshirts and redstars, collectivists and authoritarians all, who would not know freedom if it bit them on the ass, who spend all their time trying to stamp, bludgeon, and eviscerate the very idea of the individual's right to his own private world. DRL
questions, help? [link|mailto:pappas@catholic.org|email pappas at catholic.org]
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Post #173,814
9/12/04 6:50:24 PM
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If things turn out for the Neoconmen
Expect a statue of Tailgunner Joe McCarthy to replace that obscene statue in the DOJ auditorium.
(Maybe via a joint effort with Putin: World Rule Achieved! For a few months.)
..then come the nukes.
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Post #173,815
9/12/04 6:50:38 PM
9/12/04 6:51:21 PM
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Terrorists win another one
They managed to get the US to rein in a lot of its freedoms, and now they're getting the nascent liberties in Russia rolled back.
They seem to have a good measure of the people in charge.
Edit: fixed typo in subject
--\n-------------------------------------------------------------------\n* Jack Troughton jake at consultron.ca *\n* [link|http://consultron.ca|http://consultron.ca] [link|irc://irc.ecomstation.ca|irc://irc.ecomstation.ca] *\n* Kingston Ontario Canada [link|news://news.consultron.ca|news://news.consultron.ca] *\n-------------------------------------------------------------------
Edited by jake123
Sept. 12, 2004, 06:51:21 PM EDT
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Post #173,841
9/13/04 2:06:45 AM
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The sad thing is
The sad thing is, in Russia it isn't so much the terrorists winning as the US failing. The current return to authoritarian rule in Russia is a result of the failure of the attempt to install a free market democracy.
Through much of the 80s and 90s, Russia was in effect ruled by corrupt industrial barons. When the people had enough of that, they voted Putin in, despite the fact that he was ex-KGB. Putin has spent the last few years taking power from the industiral barons and returning it to the centralized state. Now we see just how authoritarian Putin is.
Jay
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Post #173,842
9/13/04 2:10:35 AM
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Unfortunately, the Russians learned everything they know . .
. . about capitalism from "B" gangster movies.
[link|http://www.aaxnet.com|AAx]
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Post #173,851
9/13/04 5:53:15 AM
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There may be more to see, even.
As: once you have centralized the $-power in say, 1-3% of the population? -- or in Russia's case, perhaps more like .01% -- the transition from there to dictatorship requires only a trivial amount of confiscation, jailing without habeas corpus and activities many here may already be familiar with. Of course too, it can't hurt when your 'media' are already centralized and regularly offer govt. press releases in former 'news' spots.. (as in trends some may have seen in other countries).
Now re the huge transfer and concentration of US wealth in recent years.. I wouldn't dream of making a comparison of probabilities. Clearly our spreadsheets are better organized and our media ever vigilant for any extra-Constitutional actions by our government. This goes without saying. In any media.
Of course, we also possess the concepts of.. a dry run, as well as of, a joint-venture. (Our President has expressed his affection and personal Trust of Mr. P. But I'm sure that was just a demonstration of his renowned Statesmanship, long-term strategizing in any undertaking, and subtle tactics.)
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Post #173,884
9/13/04 10:08:40 AM
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As Lenin said, "Own the press and you own the people."
bcnu,
Mikem
"The struggle for the emancipation of the working class is not between races or religions. It is one of class against class. Every trace of anti-Semitism, or any form of race hatred cannot assist the oppressed, it can on the contrary only aid the exploiters. Workers of all nationality, religion or creed must stand together against the common enemy: capitalism."
-Ted Grant
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Post #173,898
9/13/04 10:49:29 AM
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Repeat after me
The failure of democracy in Russia is not the fault of US. The failure of democracy in Russia is not the fault of US. The failure of democracy in Russia is not the fault of US.
There. Don;t know about you, but I feel better.
--
... a reference to Presidente Arbusto.
-- [link|http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/001417.html|Geoffrey K. Pullum]
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Post #173,962
9/13/04 4:08:23 PM
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Yes, just as Jesus ain't responsible for a Foulwell.. er -?-
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Post #173,895
9/13/04 10:45:05 AM
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Of more interest:
Putin proposed to change governatorial elections to assigning governors from Moscow, with concent of local legislature. And, candidate-based elections to lower Duma (similar to Congress) will be replaced with party-based elections. These changes are guaranteed to pass, as the Duma is in Putin's pocket right now.
--
... a reference to Presidente Arbusto.
-- [link|http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/001417.html|Geoffrey K. Pullum]
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Post #173,938
9/13/04 2:15:14 PM
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Re: Of more interest:
This way of "election" of province governor exists in modern Ukraine. One of them, from the most financial and industrial powerful province (Donetsk) as well as most corrupted, is a candidate to be the next President of Ukraine. He has a criminal background - robbery or something similar (during Soviet time). Then magic transformation into a local governor and now prime-minister of the country. "Good" sample for Russia to follow.
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Post #173,979
9/13/04 4:35:18 PM
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Love your sig link!____:-\ufffd Otherrrr Doorrrr, Se\ufffdorrrrrrrr
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