Fear and Loathing in Moscow
Newsweek
By Anna Nemtsova
Moscow, Russia -- As the financial crisis deepens, the Russian government has been amplifying its anti-American stance, and Robert Schlegel, the youngest deputy in the Russian Duma, is leading those efforts on the streets. On a recent day, Schlegel was standing along the Garden Ring avenue in Moscow, across from the U.S. Embassy, looking for a convenient place to set up a video screen. The screen will come in handy during the anti-American protest that Schlegel, in cooperation with the Nashi, a militantly pro-Kremlin youth group, will hold there on Nov. 1. He expects 15,000 young Russians to show up in Halloween costumes, holding pumpkins and candles and shouting slogans like "Stop your Big American Show!" and "Revolution Now!"
What irony. The Russian citizen dressed up in US Halloween costumes protesting the US? Do you see how Schlegel is using the poor citizen for his benefit?
Schlegel lived most of his life in authoritarian Turkmenistan. A former activist for the Nashi, Schlegel is best known for organizing street protests and pranks targeting Putin's few domestic critics. Now he drives an Alfa Romeo, wears an expensive coat and goes on business trips to London and Germany.
Here is the best example of Russian greed and corruption. He films ordinary Russian citizens who are hurting by using them to keep him in power. To allow him to drive an Alfa Romeo. What is the matter with a Russian car? He wears an expensive coat and goes on trips while the ordinary Russian can hardly pay for all of the new Putin inspired government charges. He probably makes these trips to put his dollars into Western Banks that are safer than Russian Banks. And you elected him. He is just a good example of some of our American Politicans and Bankers. He is the enemy, not the US.
In other words, people like him are no longer marginal. In his role as a Duma deputy, Schlegel is responsible for Moscow's “information policy.” He’s founded a government-supported television channel for youth, BL (which stands for “Beautiful Life”), which has produced a video for the protest.The video has high production values and makes a good effort to rile up viewers. It features a computer-generated cartoon of President Bush, who wears cowboy gear, slurps whiskey and revels in American power. At one point, the cartoon Bush says, "I control the world's oil, economy, wars, culture, science and information. I will tell you how we achieved that. I call it ‘A Big American Show.’”
This is actually so funny that I would dismiss it completely but I know that some Russians actually believe this garbage. You control so much more oil than America does. You control so many resources that the future would be bright if you could only get rid of the oligarch's and the new Russians and the Mafia. You are the guys going to war against little bitty countries that can't fight back. Pop culture will always be more powerful than any culture on this planet. It is the culture of youth, not America. Your culture is safe and strong and the Church again is beginning to grow. To blame the greed of your bankers and the mafia and the new Russian on the US is misplaced. We have the same greedy people as you do. Turn your anger on them. They have hurt you even more than our bankers and greedy politicians have.
Graphic images of World War I, Nazi Germany, the Vietnam War, and September 11 set the tone. As Schlegel says, “The American Empire Show, as we call it, is threatening Russia's stability. We young Russians have to put an end to it.”
Then do not buy dollars, keep your falling Ruble and see where it gets you? Ask your parents why they do not trust the Russian Banks and why they hoard their money in American currency? Stop looking for excuses for your anger and turn them instead on the great leaders that have led you into this pit. You elected them, not American voters. lol
And young Russian are heeding the call. As Russia grows richer and nationalism grows, the size of pro-Kremlin patriot youth movements crescendos. Nashi involves at least 200,000 activists. The Youth Guards have another 100,000 activists. The New People and Young Russia each attract tens of thousands of young patriots.But of all youth movements, Stal, or Steel, a Nashi submovement, most fully reflects the new nationalism fostered by Vladimir Putin. “We are going to change the world from knowing nothing about Russia to respecting and even recognizing Russia as a new fashion,” says Nadezhda Tarasenko, 23, the leader of Stal. “It is important to consolidate around our leader, so nobody inside or outside the country can damage our stability and unity. One thousand activists in my movement are not afraid of using tough methods to stop America's influence on Russia.”
Sorry Nadezhda, American influence is all over Russia and it has been adopted and integrated into you society years ago. You can't take back democracy and capitalism. We can tell lies about Russia in America too but having married a wonderful Russian I do not want to go back to that period where each lie is countered with one from the other country. It is no longer a military conflict Nadezhda but an economic one. Focus your thoughts and your energy in making Russia a bit less beaucratic and a bit more productive. Why has the rest of the world had less of a loss on their stock markets than Russia? Russia has great wealth and oil resources, it should not have taken a harder blow. It is your inefficient, state controlled and media biased institution. Wake up Nadezhda. The average American is just like the average Russian. We like the Russians. We admire the culture. We want to visit your beautiful country and talk with an average person and talk about the same problems that we both have. Greedy Politicians, Greedy Bankers. How many bribes have you had to pay this month just to survive? That is what is destroying the country, not the American citizen. We are in the same bad pot as you are.
Friday, October 24, 2008
VOA News - Explosion Destroys Key Bridge in Georgia
VOA News - Explosion Destroys Key Bridge in Georgia: By VOA News
24 October 2008
Can you believe the lies and bullcrap in the following story?
An explosion has destroyed a key bridge linking Georgia's breakaway republic of Abkhazia with the rest of the country.
Georgian officials and Abkhazian authorities blamed each other for the blast. Residents of Abkhazia's Gali district had used the bridge to reach Georgia's Zugdidi region. Georgian authorities have called the explosion an effort by separatist and Russian officials to cut off Abkhazia and another breakaway Georgian region, South Ossetia, from the rest of the country.
(Right Russia, like I am going to believe that. Georgia blows up its own bridge so they can no longer get to their citizens.)
Meanwhile, the chief of the European Union monitors in Georgia, Hansjoerg Haber, asked Russia to give specific information about what it called Georgian ceasefire violations near the two breakaway areas. He said Russia has so far not provided even a telephone number monitors could use for consultations. He also urged the Russians and authorities in breakaway regions to permit monitors entry into the two areas.
(This is how the Russians act with a two faced double standard. Maybe that is why their bird symbol has two heads, lol)
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov Thursday complained that European monitors are ignoring Georgian troop movements that violate the ceasefire accords.
(Bullcrap from Lavrov. Georgia is moving its troops in Georgia. Russia is moving its troops in violation of international law and its withdrawal agreement. Russia's troops are not in Russia but in Georgia territory. Wake up Lavrov and learn about Geography)
Russia has formally recognized the independence of the two breakaway areas and President Dmitri Medvedev Friday appointed ambassadors to Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
(I think the US should recognize any state or city in Russia that wants to be part of the US or any other country, that sounds fair. If Russia can do it why can't the rest of the world? Because it is against the law, glupi!)
Russian troops swept into Georgia in August, after Georgian forces tried to regain control of South Ossetia by force. The Russian troops withdrew from most of Georgia earlier this month but remain in the breakaway regions."
(Do you see how the media puts the information that is the worst at the end of the story? Russia has not withdrawn. They are still there. How silly of me to forget this fact. lol
24 October 2008
Can you believe the lies and bullcrap in the following story?
An explosion has destroyed a key bridge linking Georgia's breakaway republic of Abkhazia with the rest of the country.
Georgian officials and Abkhazian authorities blamed each other for the blast. Residents of Abkhazia's Gali district had used the bridge to reach Georgia's Zugdidi region. Georgian authorities have called the explosion an effort by separatist and Russian officials to cut off Abkhazia and another breakaway Georgian region, South Ossetia, from the rest of the country.
(Right Russia, like I am going to believe that. Georgia blows up its own bridge so they can no longer get to their citizens.)
Meanwhile, the chief of the European Union monitors in Georgia, Hansjoerg Haber, asked Russia to give specific information about what it called Georgian ceasefire violations near the two breakaway areas. He said Russia has so far not provided even a telephone number monitors could use for consultations. He also urged the Russians and authorities in breakaway regions to permit monitors entry into the two areas.
(This is how the Russians act with a two faced double standard. Maybe that is why their bird symbol has two heads, lol)
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov Thursday complained that European monitors are ignoring Georgian troop movements that violate the ceasefire accords.
(Bullcrap from Lavrov. Georgia is moving its troops in Georgia. Russia is moving its troops in violation of international law and its withdrawal agreement. Russia's troops are not in Russia but in Georgia territory. Wake up Lavrov and learn about Geography)
Russia has formally recognized the independence of the two breakaway areas and President Dmitri Medvedev Friday appointed ambassadors to Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
(I think the US should recognize any state or city in Russia that wants to be part of the US or any other country, that sounds fair. If Russia can do it why can't the rest of the world? Because it is against the law, glupi!)
Russian troops swept into Georgia in August, after Georgian forces tried to regain control of South Ossetia by force. The Russian troops withdrew from most of Georgia earlier this month but remain in the breakaway regions."
(Do you see how the media puts the information that is the worst at the end of the story? Russia has not withdrawn. They are still there. How silly of me to forget this fact. lol
VOA News - Russia Criticizes US Sanctions on Russian Arms Exporter
Now how would Russia like it if we Really exported some killer technology to Georgia and the Ukraine? Why do the Russians get to export weapons to people who threaten us but we do not have the same luxury. We need jobs in the US too. Lets all export so that those weapons can be tested against each other and we will see who makes the best weapons. I truly believe this Russian flirtation with the Iranians will come back to Kick Russia in the popka. It will be a lot easier for those maniacal Muslim idiots to carry a crude nuclear device to the border of Russia than to ship it across the ocean to the US. See how the US reacts to the poor Russians when that happens. Wake up Russia. We are your friends, not the Muslim world.
Russia Criticizes US Sanctions on Russian Arms Exporter:
By VOA News
24 October 2008
Moscow said U.S. sanctions on Russia's state arms exporter enacted for sharing technology with Iran violate international law.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the sanctions on Russia's Rosoboronexport company will not persuade Moscow to adopt a U.S. approach to resolving the Iranian nuclear controversy.
A general view shows the reactor building of the Bushehr nuclear power plant in southern Iran (File)
Lavrov said Russia's cooperation with Iran is in line with international law, and that the U.S. move will hurt bilateral ties.
On Thursday, the U.S. imposed sanctions on 13 companies it accuses of giving Iran, Syria or North Korea technology that could be used for making weapons of mass destruction.
The U.S. barred companies in Russia, China, Venezuela, Iran, North Korea, South Korea, Sudan, Syria and the United Arab Emirates from doing business with the U.S. government.
The United States and Russia are two of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council. The U.N. body has hit Iran with three sets of sanctions for its refusal to stop enriching uranium, a process that can be used to make nuclear weapons. They are currently at an impasse over what steps to take next.
The United States and its Western allies accuse Iran of working to produce a nuclear weapon. Iran says its atomic program is for peaceful purposes.
On Thursday, the Export Development Bank of Iran denounced a U.S. decision to sanction it for allegedly helping finance Iran's missile procurement network. U.S. Treasury officials had designated the bank as a weapons 'proliferator.'"
Russia Criticizes US Sanctions on Russian Arms Exporter:
By VOA News
24 October 2008
Moscow said U.S. sanctions on Russia's state arms exporter enacted for sharing technology with Iran violate international law.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the sanctions on Russia's Rosoboronexport company will not persuade Moscow to adopt a U.S. approach to resolving the Iranian nuclear controversy.
A general view shows the reactor building of the Bushehr nuclear power plant in southern Iran (File)
Lavrov said Russia's cooperation with Iran is in line with international law, and that the U.S. move will hurt bilateral ties.
On Thursday, the U.S. imposed sanctions on 13 companies it accuses of giving Iran, Syria or North Korea technology that could be used for making weapons of mass destruction.
The U.S. barred companies in Russia, China, Venezuela, Iran, North Korea, South Korea, Sudan, Syria and the United Arab Emirates from doing business with the U.S. government.
The United States and Russia are two of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council. The U.N. body has hit Iran with three sets of sanctions for its refusal to stop enriching uranium, a process that can be used to make nuclear weapons. They are currently at an impasse over what steps to take next.
The United States and its Western allies accuse Iran of working to produce a nuclear weapon. Iran says its atomic program is for peaceful purposes.
On Thursday, the Export Development Bank of Iran denounced a U.S. decision to sanction it for allegedly helping finance Iran's missile procurement network. U.S. Treasury officials had designated the bank as a weapons 'proliferator.'"
Russian cease-fire allegations overblown
EU: Most Russian cease-fire allegations overblown
By PAUL AMES – 1 hour ago
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) — Most Russian claims that Georgia is violating a cease-fire agreement in the breakaway region of South Ossetia appear to be inflated, the head of the European monitoring mission there said Friday.
Russia should provide more details if it has evidence that Georgia is breaching the deal, Hansjoerg Haber said.
A war erupted in August when Georgia launched an attack to regain control over the breakaway region of South Ossetia. Russian forces swiftly repelled the attack and drove deep into Georgia.
Russia withdrew its forces from parts of Georgia according to the terms of an EU-brokered cease-fire, and the EU sent more than a 200-member mission to monitor the situation.
But Moscow has complained that Georgian troops have failed to withdraw from areas near South Ossetia and Abkhazia, another separatist province, and have instigated shootings against Russian forces.
"In general, the observation is that such reports are overblown," Haber told reporters. "There may have been isolated shootings, but no major incidents have been registered."
If Russia and its allies in South Ossetia have evidence of Georgian wrongdoing, they should end their refusal to allow the EU monitors into the breakaway region so they can investigate, Haber said.
"We are pleased to come over to their side of the administrative boundary and inspect what has happened there," Haber said. "We invite them to invite us."
On Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused the 225 EU monitors of turning a blind eye to Georgian troops' failure to withdraw from areas near South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
"We don't get any details from the Russians, we just get general allegations," Haber said.
Asked specifically about allegations that Georgian special forces were in areas near South Ossetia, Haber said that some lightly armed units were there, but said their presence was "commensurate and adequate" for policing the region.
Georgia, meanwhile, accused Russian forces of destroying a bridge leading into Abkhazia in order to isolate ethnic Georgians living there. Russian troops demolished the bridge between Gali, in Abkhazia, and Zugdidi, in Georgia proper, Georgian Interior Ministry spokesman Shota Utiashvili said.
The bridge was one of the last remaining border crossings into Abkhazia, Utiashvili said. Most of Gali's citizens are ethnic Georgians.
Russia's Defense Ministry was not immediately available for comment Friday. But the defense minister for Abkhazia's de-facto government blamed the bombing on Georgia.
Russia, meanwhile, appointed ambassadors to South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Russia recognized South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent nations after the war and plans to keep 3,800 troops in each region — a much bigger presence than before the war.
Georgia straddles a key westward route for oil and gas from the Caspian Sea region, and has become a focus of competition between Russia and the West for regional clout.
Associated Press writer Matt Siegel contributed to this report from Tbilisi, Georgia.
By PAUL AMES – 1 hour ago
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) — Most Russian claims that Georgia is violating a cease-fire agreement in the breakaway region of South Ossetia appear to be inflated, the head of the European monitoring mission there said Friday.
Russia should provide more details if it has evidence that Georgia is breaching the deal, Hansjoerg Haber said.
A war erupted in August when Georgia launched an attack to regain control over the breakaway region of South Ossetia. Russian forces swiftly repelled the attack and drove deep into Georgia.
Russia withdrew its forces from parts of Georgia according to the terms of an EU-brokered cease-fire, and the EU sent more than a 200-member mission to monitor the situation.
But Moscow has complained that Georgian troops have failed to withdraw from areas near South Ossetia and Abkhazia, another separatist province, and have instigated shootings against Russian forces.
"In general, the observation is that such reports are overblown," Haber told reporters. "There may have been isolated shootings, but no major incidents have been registered."
If Russia and its allies in South Ossetia have evidence of Georgian wrongdoing, they should end their refusal to allow the EU monitors into the breakaway region so they can investigate, Haber said.
"We are pleased to come over to their side of the administrative boundary and inspect what has happened there," Haber said. "We invite them to invite us."
On Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused the 225 EU monitors of turning a blind eye to Georgian troops' failure to withdraw from areas near South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
"We don't get any details from the Russians, we just get general allegations," Haber said.
Asked specifically about allegations that Georgian special forces were in areas near South Ossetia, Haber said that some lightly armed units were there, but said their presence was "commensurate and adequate" for policing the region.
Georgia, meanwhile, accused Russian forces of destroying a bridge leading into Abkhazia in order to isolate ethnic Georgians living there. Russian troops demolished the bridge between Gali, in Abkhazia, and Zugdidi, in Georgia proper, Georgian Interior Ministry spokesman Shota Utiashvili said.
The bridge was one of the last remaining border crossings into Abkhazia, Utiashvili said. Most of Gali's citizens are ethnic Georgians.
Russia's Defense Ministry was not immediately available for comment Friday. But the defense minister for Abkhazia's de-facto government blamed the bombing on Georgia.
Russia, meanwhile, appointed ambassadors to South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Russia recognized South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent nations after the war and plans to keep 3,800 troops in each region — a much bigger presence than before the war.
Georgia straddles a key westward route for oil and gas from the Caspian Sea region, and has become a focus of competition between Russia and the West for regional clout.
Associated Press writer Matt Siegel contributed to this report from Tbilisi, Georgia.
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