Comments - Latest Popular Stories, Instablogs Community by Edlucas http://edlucas.instablogs.com/ Comments - Latest Popular Stories powered by Instablogs Community. http://www.instablogs.com/site-img/insta-slogo.gif Instablogs Community http://edlucas.instablogs.com/ en-us Instascript 2.0 http://www.instablogs.com Sat, 24 May 2008 06:51:17 +0000 Chintan http://s_chintan.instablogs.com http://s_chintan.instablogs.com Chintan
This was partly possible because of Yeltsin's failure to stabilize the country and his encouragement to the oligarchs who steadily entered the system and made billions. Putin's tough image gave an impression that he was the right man to bring some kind of discipline to the country that was becoming increasingly frustrated and volatile. With the economy booming because of oil prices (recently) and other liberal policies earlier (along with corruptible politicians) that made Russia an attractive investment destination Russians prospered.

Here lies the unfortunate thing. Most Russians who can make a difference simply cannot believe that the gang that runs the country headed by a man like Putin is actually making the country rotten from within and gradually turning the country into a full-fledged autocracy where in the future people will have to live in Soviet-style oppression but blinded by the glitzy neon-lit commercial districts of the cities and blaring music in the discotheques.]]> There is no doubt that Russia is being run by the ruthless men of the Soviet system. I agree completely that the country is not in transition towards democracy but in the grip of a despot with his own gang of plunderers.



This was partly possible because of Yeltsin’s failure to stabilize the country and his encouragement to the oligarchs who steadily entered the system and made billions. Putin’s tough image gave an impression that he was the right man to bring some kind of discipline to the country that was becoming increasingly frustrated and volatile. With the economy booming because of oil prices (recently) and other liberal policies earlier (along with corruptible politicians) that made Russia an attractive investment destination Russians prospered.



Here lies the unfortunate thing. Most Russians who can make a difference simply cannot believe that the gang that runs the country headed by a man like Putin is actually making the country rotten from within and gradually turning the country into a full-fledged autocracy where in the future people will have to live in Soviet-style oppression but blinded by the glitzy neon-lit commercial districts of the cities and blaring music in the discotheques.

]]> Sat, 24 May 2008 00:00:00 +0000 Anil http://anilm.instablogs.com http://anilm.instablogs.com Anil
Equally interesting though not startling as it is the accepted norms for businessmen all over the world, information in this detailed piece that it is pro-Kremlin bankers and Western politicians who betray their countries for 30 silver roubles as Western investment in Russia has already created a lobby for good relations with the Kremlin in the City, in German big business and in the energy industry across Europe.

This hypocrisy is detrimental for the mankind.]]> It is a matter of gratification that in the Putin’s Russia where extra-judicial killings are common, at least one book stall has dared to sell the booklet detailing how Russia is being run by a corrupt, incompetent and despotic regime, and the huge windfall of high oil prices is being squandered. Authored by two former government insiders, Boris Nemtsov and Vladimir Milov, the explosive pamphlet, “Putin: the bottom line” is available only at one kiosk in Pushkin Square at the heart of Moscow.



Equally interesting though not startling as it is the accepted norms for businessmen all over the world, information in this detailed piece that it is pro-Kremlin bankers and Western politicians who betray their countries for 30 silver roubles as Western investment in Russia has already created a lobby for good relations with the Kremlin in the City, in German big business and in the energy industry across Europe.



This hypocrisy is detrimental for the mankind.

]]> Sat, 24 May 2008 00:00:00 +0000 Sean http://sean14.instablogs.com http://sean14.instablogs.com Sean
The fact that 'Putin: the bottom line' is available only at one kiosk in Pushkin Square at the heart of Moscow shows that all is not lost. In fact, I would rather not look at Russia as bleakly as the Western world sees it now. Changes will inevitably take place.

One interesting thing that I feel is happening in Russia is not just out of fear of the Kremlin but out of fear of antagonising popular sentiments in favour of Putin and his government that 'explosive' literature against the government is not being sold all over.]]> Anil -



The fact that ‘Putin: the bottom line’ is available only at one kiosk in Pushkin Square at the heart of Moscow shows that all is not lost. In fact, I would rather not look at Russia as bleakly as the Western world sees it now. Changes will inevitably take place.



One interesting thing that I feel is happening in Russia is not just out of fear of the Kremlin but out of fear of antagonising popular sentiments in favour of Putin and his government that ‘explosive’ literature against the government is not being sold all over.

]]> Sat, 24 May 2008 00:00:00 +0000 Johan http://verhulst-johan.instablogs.com http://verhulst-johan.instablogs.com Johan here. The pamphlet has basically 12 parts in which the last part deals with giving an alternative solution to Russia's maladies. In it, Nemtsov writes:

We need laws on lobbying, conflicts of interest, on forbidding civil servants and any connected with them to engage in business. We need to disqualify civil servants found to have engaged in corrupt practices so that they can never again in their lives occupy a civil service post.


This, I believe is the main problem Russia is facing. With hundreds of billions of Russia's earnings squandered because of corruption and wasteful practices, it becomes imperative that the people of Russia demands this in unison and force the government to take a stock of the current situation where lawmakers are running business, huge businesses by proxy. That makes corruption impossible to tackle.]]> I read the translation of “Putin: The bottom line”. The original file in Russian can be downloaded in PDF format here. The pamphlet has basically 12 parts in which the last part deals with giving an alternative solution to Russia’s maladies. In it, Nemtsov writes:


We need laws on lobbying, conflicts of interest, on forbidding civil servants and any connected with them to engage in business. We need to disqualify civil servants found to have engaged in corrupt practices so that they can never again in their lives occupy a civil service post.





This, I believe is the main problem Russia is facing. With hundreds of billions of Russia’s earnings squandered because of corruption and wasteful practices, it becomes imperative that the people of Russia demands this in unison and force the government to take a stock of the current situation where lawmakers are running business, huge businesses by proxy. That makes corruption impossible to tackle.

]]> Sat, 24 May 2008 00:00:00 +0000 Justin http://justin-b.instablogs.com http://justin-b.instablogs.com Justin
I agree with a commenter here that the West is being hypocritical, especially when France and Germany should shed greed and the others shun fear to make Putin come round. It is heartening to see that such a small country like Lithuania is braving the Goliath and standing up to it in the international scene.]]> The problem with Putin is that being a third-rate spy as you said during the time of USSR, he is able to understand only one kind of system that works. That is through fear and intimidation. He might not be very greedy in terms of collecting wealth himself. But he is making sure that the guys whom he needs to continue his despotic rule he needs to keep them in good humor and thus is turning a blind eye to the corrupt practices of the influential businessmen-turned-politicians.



I agree with a commenter here that the West is being hypocritical, especially when France and Germany should shed greed and the others shun fear to make Putin come round. It is heartening to see that such a small country like Lithuania is braving the Goliath and standing up to it in the international scene.

]]> Sat, 24 May 2008 00:00:00 +0000 Denis http://khakimov_denis.instablogs.com http://khakimov_denis.instablogs.com Denis
Boris Nemtsov and Vladimir Milov, particularly the former is a jilted politician who saw his political career ending and now talking a different tone consistent with a sore loser's actions generally.

There are many problems in Russia and there are critics. This is a fact. It is with all countries including North Korea. There are critics of Kim Jong Il there. Unfortunately some are painting Russia as one of those states that kills dissenting voices as it was during Stalin's time. If this was true, then Nemtsov would have ended up in a Siberian labor camp. Even the family members of the ones who are selling his discussion would have ended there. Yet, it is available legally right in the heart of Moscow. I don't know if it is true but it is available elsewhere too. Russia has not blocked websites that has copies of it. Anyone can access it. I will find out on Monday and let you know.]]> Russophobs are finding their glorious old days back when they used the phobia to distract from their own domestic woes and had a topic to gossip upon while loafing. People like Edward made a career our of feeding them a constant diet of yellow journalism in the West where they had gullible public ready to buy any shit coming out from the other side of the Curtain.



Boris Nemtsov and Vladimir Milov, particularly the former is a jilted politician who saw his political career ending and now talking a different tone consistent with a sore loser’s actions generally.



There are many problems in Russia and there are critics. This is a fact. It is with all countries including North Korea. There are critics of Kim Jong Il there. Unfortunately some are painting Russia as one of those states that kills dissenting voices as it was during Stalin’s time. If this was true, then Nemtsov would have ended up in a Siberian labor camp. Even the family members of the ones who are selling his discussion would have ended there. Yet, it is available legally right in the heart of Moscow. I don’t know if it is true but it is available elsewhere too. Russia has not blocked websites that has copies of it. Anyone can access it. I will find out on Monday and let you know.

]]> Sat, 24 May 2008 00:00:00 +0000