Reforming Russia?

[chivo]

+1

shocker.
 
Another know all about Russia wannabe. Tell me you PMS'ing again. I mean it is that time of the month.

[erikmagenta]

Great George Carlin movie clip.  I never cared for him because of his language, but he certainly has a grasp of the big picture of Amerian politics.  LOL

Friggen hillarious.  "The Great American Dream, because you have to be asleep to believe it!!"  :-)))
RIP George Carlin, you were the best of the best...

[erikmagenta]

Chivo,

Just curious, do you have a degree in Journalism?  Have you ever written for a newspaper or magazine?  You made a comment upthread that Russians have as many freedoms now as they have for the past 100 years.  Well, 80 out of those 100 years were under communism.  I don't think they had too many freedoms then.  If Putin is so great, then why is he trying to muzzle people?  Obama is not super popular right now, but the race is still neck and neck.  Obama did not and could not outlaw an opposition party.  Obama has not and could not have anti-Obama protestors arrested and fined close to a years salary.  So what am I missing?  Please spell it out with some more detail.

[chivo]

It is amazing that you, like other illegal aliens in Russia, never pay attention to Russian media. I'd suggest that you listen once in a while to Echo Moscow Radio. When callers go on air to tell of their personal experiences and those calls come from a variety of places and various periods of time, I'm not going to call them liars.

Illegal alien? Too funny. At least I live here. You only make people think you actually do.
 
I also am well up to date with the media and internet news about what's happening here, from a Russian perspective. Which is why I don't agree with some of what you report. I also see things as they happen here. I live here and have seen some of the protests.

Oh and BTW, care to check my legal status. I mean you are in Moscow now , aren't you? 

Do you believe that Stanislav Belkovsky, Ilya Yashin or Alena Popova are lying by telling me of these instances?

Nothing personal, but I don't believe anyone all the time.
 
And they're just telling you their side of things. You should know how deep the system is here and how difficult it is to change. These people, while commendable in their efforts, are doing nothing more than what people fighting the system in America are doing. Which is much of my point to begin with. 

Now before you go and try to explain away Echo Moscow by saying they're just the mouthpiece of the opposition, allow me to remind you that Echo Moscow is owned by Gazprom Media. That is Gazprom as in the Kremlin controlled Oil and Communications empire. http://www.gazprom-media.com/en/radio.xml?&company_id=50

I know about Echo, and agree with some of what they say, and disagree with other things. Just like I do with you big boy.
 
I know quite a few people here in Moscow who are well connected too. you're not the only one who knows people. My connections are easily on par with yours.
 
And about Echo, tell the audience here how far their broadcasting base is. You'll be hard pressed to pick it up outside the MKAD.

There are more native Russian journalists 'stringing' for Western news agencies than accredited foreign journalists in Russia. So are we to read that you believe these Russian journalists are feeding reports to Western media that are lies or slanting their reports. They're too consistent in Western media to have been "doctored" or changed by individual editors.

No disrespect, but I find journalists sorely lacking these days. IMO they do more to create the news that actually report it.

I for one, don't believe everything I read, do you? And while some of it is fact based, some of it is based on other things like personal bias and making a buck. Do you really think journalists in Russia have the low down on what's really happening here? 
 

I listened to a interview with Dan Rather a while ago and he basically said the same thing about journalists. Actually, he was much more scathing than I about the profession. So no, I don't buy everything they say. And Belvis, a Russian said much the same as I about the way Western TV journalists portray Putin and this country. its laughable.
 
I wrote a  long factual post about what has happened in Russia with the economy and growth since Putin first took over (yes I do contribute when possible, but not just to argue with some fool). I didn't see anything from you about its content. It only had one response from a poster who seldom posts here, and it was favorable. People on this forum much perfer to gossip like babuskas than to talk about anything of substance. 
 
I mean really, who can do a better job than him right now?
 
If you are just going to say negative things about Putin then be prepared to defend them, that's all. He has done some good things for this country, but his hands are tied in relation to how the system operates in many ways. Don't for a second think he has total control over what happens here, although very powerful, he doesn't.
 
Instead of just talking to the opposition, talk to some business people, Western business people and get their take on things. Some of it might surprise you. Putin has done a lot to make it more favorable to do business here. And no, I don't think he's an angel by any stretch of the imagination and I hardly agree with everything he does, but I also think he (and Russia for that matter) takes too much heat, unnecessary heat that other leaders doing much the same, don't.
 
 

[mendeleyev]

From their responses I don't agree. And no readers don't know what is ACTUALLY happening here. Your reporting is incredibly one sided in my opinion when it comes to Russia.

Fair enough. You just didn't say "in my opinion" before. Everyone is entitled to have one and I respect that.

 

Let me ask you, how much time do you actually spend in Moscow?

Last month my frequent flier statements listed just over 50,000 miles and a typical month is between 40-60k. That included a trip from Moscow to Mexico (reporting) and a trip to Washington/Virginia (reporting). I and an additional person cover Eastern Europe, primarily based from Moscow. So you may also find me in Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova, one of the other former republics, or any number of Russian cities. That number of miles pissed me off btw because I was scheduled for some down time at a place we purchased a few years back along the Black Sea in Bulgaria and while my wife is understanding, she wanted me to get some rest in as well.

Do I know Moscow? Enough to drive myself from an office to check on either of two apartments rented although I try to drive as little as possible in Moscow. Ever collected rent from someone (a guy) two months behind in Moscow? I have. Enough to get home to a Moscow suburban dacha/house we purchased/renovated/expanded. Enough to ride the Metro with my eyes closed (I find myself napping on the Metro like many others). Enough to get inside the Kremlin even on days it is closed. Enough to describe in vivid detail the Grand Kremlin Palace, or anywhere inside the Kremlin. We could include Administrative Bldg #14, Terem Palace, the Faceted Chamber, something many Russians never get to experience, or show you around Patriarch's Pond. Enough to give a guided tour of the Duma building, Red Square and to know what Novo-Ogaryovo or Gorki look like inside.

How about you: ever flown an Ilyushin 96 with the letters "PU" at the end of the tail sign? I formerly had an office inside Radio Mayak years ago in the days when the CCCP was becoming the Russian Federation. These days I keep an office near Metro Kozhukhovskaya but don't give an exact address publicly for security reasons.

We could continue this silly game of "my dick is bigger than yours" if you'd like. I have more.

Just trying to check and balance your one sided BS, that's all. I thought you were all about checks and balances.

I'd have been so much more impressed had you included the positive things I wrote that Mr. Putin could do to satisfy the bulk of the majority when I wrote about the opposition being a form of checks and balances.

balance your one sided BS, that's all

So how exactly, is Russia more free than California?

You might wish to camp out at the airports and tell Russians all those things because California is a prime destination for Russians to visit and to live. Not quite like London, but very popular. All those Russian travelers could obviously use your insight.

One comment I read from you was they had 70,000 police waiting for the last protests. Really, where do you get this stuff?

Ever heard of an organization called the "Ministry of the Interior?" They do give out that sort of information to media. Sometimes it's bogus and sometimes it is real, much like their system of counting how many people show up at an event. I'm surprised that you didn't bother cut and paste of the related piece where I wrote that most of those forces were called back prior to the rally.

And that picture of the child on a bike was another example of how you sensationalize things as if is was something out of Tienanmen Square. Cut me a break

Are you claiming that it was a fake photo?

Did the opposition somehow pay off the police to allow the child to pose?

Did evil Western reporters bribe the kid with free ice cream to ride his trike up to the line?

Are you so blind as to think that photo was something that happens every day?

Speaking of Tienanmen Square, it was YOU who mentioned that. I wrote nothing of the sort. I never once mentioned Tienanmen Square. Did that image (yes, it really happened) bring out something in YOUR subconscious mind about Tienanmen Square, Chivo?

[mendeleyev]

Illegal alien? Too funny.

Have I misread you in earlier posts that you don't follow Russian immigration and registration laws? If I misread, my sincere apologies.

I have no interest in checking your status. I have a life.

[mendeleyev]

Do you really think journalists in Russia have the low down on what's really happening here? 

Ah, but you do.

[mendeleyev]

And about Echo, tell the audience here how far their broadcasting base is. You'll be hard pressed to pick it up outside the MKAD.

Really?!

Gazprom will be shocked. They're under the impression that their coverage over Russia is quite good.


 From Gazprom, regarding the Moscow signal: The weekly audience is around 1 million people.
 http://www.gazprom-media.com/en/radio.xml?&company_id=50


From Gazprom, regarding Echo's signal outside Moscow: The radio station broadcasts in over 40 town of Russia as well as in Chicago (USA). http://www.gazprom-media.com/en/radio.xml?&company_id=50

Here are some of those cities:

• Abakan - 71.06, 104.2 FM
• Barnaul - 69.11 FM
• Chelyabinsk - 70.70, 99.5 FM
• Chicago - 1330 AM
• Ekaterinburg - 67.46, 91.4 FM
• Zelenogorsk - 71.06 FM
• Izhevsk - 105.3 FM
• Irkutsk - 69.5 FM
• Kazan - 105.8 FM
• Krasnoyarsk - 106.6 FM
• Makhachkala - 105.2 FM
• Mirny - 102,4
• Moscow - 91.2 FM
• Nizhnevartovsk - 107.0 FM
• Nizhny Novgorod - 107.4 FM
• Orenburg - 101.3 FM
• Omsk - 70.55, 105.0 FM
• Perm - 91.2 FM
• Rostov-na-Donu - 69.44 FM
• Samara - 99.1 FM
• Saint Petersburg - 91.5 FM
• Saratov, Engels - 105.8 FM
• Tolyatti - 107.9 FM
• Tomsk - 105.0 FM
• Tumen - 72.44 FM
• Tver - 107,2 FM
• Ufa - 91.1 FM
• Ukhta - 105.0 FM
• Yaroslavl - 106.5 FM
• Vladikavkaz, Beslan - 102.8 FM
• Vologda - 105.7 FM

[chivo]

Chivo,

Just curious, do you have a degree in Journalism?  Have you ever written for a newspaper or magazine?  You made a comment upthread that Russians have as many freedoms now as they have for the past 100 years.  Well, 80 out of those 100 years were under communism.  I don't think they had too many freedoms then.  If Putin is so great, then why is he trying to muzzle people?  Obama is not super popular right now, but the race is still neck and neck.  Obama did not and could not outlaw an opposition party.  Obama has not and could not have anti-Obama protestors arrested and fined close to a years salary.  So what am I missing?  Please spell it out with some more detail.

No I don't have a degree in journalism, but it is hardly relevant.
 
My comment about Russians and freedom was just a true comment, nothing more.
 
On can only give you a theory as to why Putin does what he does with the media here. I don't know him personally. The internet isn't controlled, at least not yet.
 
The new laws haven't been enforced as far as I know. But yes, he's cracking down on certain people. Permits to protest are still available as far as I know. There will be another protest  later this year, and the laws are not set in stone yet. As far as I know, people can still protest, just with limits on the number and how they do it. Peaceful protests have been the norm here so far with the exception of the one on May 6th.
 
Tell you what, why don't you ask some of the Occupy Wall St crowd these same questions? Or maybe hook up with Julian Assange and ask him about being muzzled? Oh i'm sure they're more like him in some respect.
 
again, to my point, what's happening here, happens in most places in some form or another. it is not exclusive to Russia.

[chivo]

Ah, but you do.

This is my last post tonight, I have only one day to relax a week and its getting late. I will deal with the rest later.
 
No Mendy, the people I know do though. And I trust them about this country and its processes a whole hell of a lot more than any journalist. Period.

[Boethius]

No I don't have a degree in journalism, but it is hardly relevant.

Don't you think that a journalist, who also has many colleagues who are journalists, would have a better knowledge of the limits of freedom than the average citizen?  After all, it is the journalists who have to weigh whether printing something, or broadcasting something, is going to be censored or cause an office raid.  It is no coincidence that the first thing governments try to control is media access to their representatives, to greater or lesser degrees.

The new laws haven't been enforced as far as I know. But yes, he's cracking down on certain people. Permits to protest are still available as far as I know. There will be another protest  later this year, and the laws are not set in stone yet. As far as I know, people can still protest, just with limits on the number and how they do it. Peaceful protests have been the norm here so far with the exception of the one on May 6th.
 
Tell you what, why don't you ask some of the Occupy Wall St crowd these same questions? Or maybe hook up with Julian Assange and ask him about being muzzled? Oh i'm sure they're more like him in some respect.

Occupy Wall Street camped on private lands for more than a month, and were asked to remove sleeping bags and personal items, at the request of the land owner, so that the park could be cleaned and not be a health hazard.  Given the litigious nature of American society, that was likely a wise request by the private land holder.  The occupiers refused, and it took another two months to remove them.  Had they been on city lands, the story may have been different.  Do you really believe if the Occupy protestors had protested daily on city sidewalks on Wall Street, but then gone home each evening, there would have been any action to shut them down?



Julian Assange did not face any repercussions when he criticized individual states.  For example, this -



Do you think that would be the same in Russia?

It was only when Assange published state secrets, some of which did put others (primarily, local informants) at risk, that he faced consequences.  I don't agree with the pressure put on commercial organizations to shut him down, but the analogy is flawed.


Did Seymour Hersh face any consequences for breaking the Abu Ghraib scandal?


What is a bigger issue in the US is concentrated corporate control of media, and how their corporate interests affect news reporting.  60 Minutes was the first news organization to put together an in depth report on Abu Ghraib.  But Sumner Redstone put the kibosh on the story, as one of National Amusement's subsidiaries (can't recall which one) would be going to Congress later that year for some sort of change to laws affecting their interests.  They did not want anything to come to light which could cause legislators to vote against their corporate interests. 
 

again, to my point, what's happening here, happens in most places in some form or another. it is not exclusive to Russia.

Protesters in most Western democracies don't require permits from the government.

[calmissile]

Mendy,  I wish there were a 'no comments' section where you could post your reports.  IMO most of the members respect your journalism and appreciate the effort you make to keep us informed.  This arguing chops up the stories where it becomes difficult to follow.

Perhaps your detractors could open their own threads and do their "reporting" there without screwing up the continuity of your reporting.  Don't dispair, most of us on this forum are loyal followers of your reporting.

[Belvis]

If Putin is so great, then why is he trying to muzzle people?  Obama is not super popular right now, but the race is still neck and neck.  Obama did not and could not outlaw an opposition party.  Obama has not and could not have anti-Obama protestors arrested and fined close to a years salary.  So what am I missing? 

I'll try to answer some questions. Putin is considered as a real leader of the nation by a majority of russians. Though the count the votes for parliament has likely rigged the number of votes for Putin is not disputed and  reflects his real weight. If  he's  trying to muzzle people how come I hear all the time the harsh criticism of him in media, and not only in Internet?
We have one serious problem with opposition that their so called leaders have no prestige in the best case or had compromised by background in the worst one. Yes, that's the problem.
Because of opposition impotence to enter into alliance between themselves the president has to think about how to develope civilized forms of democracy. First, the authority lowered the electoral qualification for small parties to take their share in parliament. Second, the authority is trying to reanimate the right-wing opposition party which could win the votes for parliament (irony of fate).   If dim ideas of opposition are not shared by people so whom they will blame for? Of course, Putin. That's O.K., though  "Putin is trying to muzzle people" I see the street opposition leaders on TV talk-shows where they complain a lot. But when their supporters begin to stone the cops  they got arrested. I'm sure the street opposition leaders are not upset with that because they need publicity.  Scandals do what their ideas failed.
Why the street opposition is not supported by majority of russians? One of the reasons could be the fate of orange revolution in Ukraine. Street leaders there come to power. Result is known.

[noelscot]

I've read your writings about Russian politics with great interest.
 
These are just a few musings I have about Russia. Generally, I advocate Russian sovereignty and their affairs are their business. The system that offers the most individual freedom and economic prosperity is always the best.
 
-Russia has a long autocratic history. Was this from necessity or from choice?
-Russia's geography is very unmerciful and creates a hypervigilence on the part of her government.
 


 

[Daveman]

Mendy,  I wish there were a 'no comments' section where you could post your reports.  IMO most of the members respect your journalism and appreciate the effort you make to keep us informed.  This arguing chops up the stories where it becomes difficult to follow.

Perhaps your detractors could open their own threads and do their "reporting" there without screwing up the continuity of your reporting.  Don't dispair, most of us on this forum are loyal followers of your reporting.

If we quell those to disagree, are we not engaging in the very same practice as the Putinites? 

[Turboguy]

This arguing chops up the stories where it becomes difficult to follow.

I always thought RWD stood for Russian Women Discussion forum.   Sometimes I think it might be more appropriate to have it stand for Russian Women Disagreement forum.

[calmissile]

If we quell those to disagree, are we not engaging in the very same practice as the Putinites? 

Not to quell them at all.  Just suggest they do their own reporting in their own thread instead of attacking the messenger.

[Boethius]

Second, the authority is trying to reanimate the right-wing opposition party which could win the votes for parliament (irony of fate).   

Are you translating "irony of fate" directly from Russian?  In English, it means circumstances that could affect your life, or an unpredictable leap of faith.

[Boethius]

Not to quell them at all.  Just suggest they do their own reporting in their own thread instead of attacking the messenger.

This is a forum, not a blog.  I believe many of mendy's posts come from his blog.

Mendy is a true gentleman, and I believe he posts here partly because he enjoys the commentary and questions.  A forum is pretty sterile if people aren't responding to posts.  That being said, questioning his knowledge of Russia is over the top so I could understand his reaction to that.

Anyone who has read his posts knows he is a long time resident of Moscow, has a dacha there, raised a daughter in Russia, has cordial relations with his wife's ex husband (more so than his wife, which I found amusing and which also demonstrated exactly what type of man Mendy is), and has a broad knowledge of the culture and politics there.  It's all in his post history here.

[mendeleyev]

I'll try to answer some questions. Putin is considered as a real leader of the nation by a majority of russians. Though the count the votes for parliament has likely rigged the number of votes for Putin is not disputed and  reflects his real weight.

Watch this camera set up BY THE GOVERNMENT at just one polling station then let's reconsider the notion of Putin's numbers being undisputed. 

[mendeleyev]

Generally, I advocate Russian sovereignty and their affairs are their business. The system that offers the most individual freedom and economic prosperity is always the best.

я тоже (Me too/I also) as the Russians say. For some reason however I believe that there are 143,100,000 citizens who deserve a voice and vote, not just one man who supposedly has their best interests at heart.

When you steal an election you've not only robbed the minority of their right to vote, but you've robbed the majority of a true mandate for leadership. There isn't a credible source out there, from Europe to Asia, that felt the December election was honest.

Russia has a long autocratic history. Was this from necessity or from choice?

From a lack of choice. The Tsar's were supposedly God's representatives on earth as a gift to rule over the Russian people. The fact that there were good Tsars, bad Tsars, strong Tsars, and weak Tsars is nothing more than normal human nature. Democracies suffer from the same.

 

Russia's geography is very unmerciful and creates a hypervigilence on the part of her government.

I thought the video posted was interesting historically, but Russia's largest area it cannot defend today is south and east. It is a reason why the USA should pay more attention to Russia's concerns about missile defense systems in Poland.

The future problem is China.

[mendeleyev]

As to regulating the Internet....

(From the Moscow Times): Authorities are proposing introducing fines and short prison stays for those placing hyperlinks to ”extremist content” on the Internet, media reports said Tuesday.

According to a copy of the proposed amendments on the Communications and Press Ministry website, penalties for including links to extremist content could stretch to 3,000 rubles ($90) or a 15-day administrative sentence.

The new laws haven't been enforced as far as I know.

Chivo, on the morning after the law's implementation 18 individuals stood outside the Duma holding signs in a quiet protest against the new law. Police arrested the 18 on the grounds that their signs constituted a "rally." (Article 31 of the Russian Federation Constitution guarantees free speech and free assembly without interference. More than a few Russians fear that the new law will be treated as above the constitution. The Russian polling firm the Levada Centre says that a majority or Russians believe it to be a bad law.)

(From the Moscow Times) The embattled head of A Just Russia’s Astrakhan branch became the first prominent victim of tough new protest rules signed into law earlier this month. An Astrakhan court ruled Friday that Oleg Shein should pay 20,000 rubles ($600) for taking part in an unsanctioned rally. New rules enacted June 8 stipulate maximum penalties of 300,000 rubles ($9,275) for participants and 1 million rubles for organizers of unauthorized or illegal protests.

[mendeleyev]

But yes, he's cracking down on certain people.

As in the leaders of the opposition: Navalny, Sobchak, Udaltsov, etc.

Chivo, I want you to see something in this video. Police raided Navalny's apartment around midnight. They emerged after daylight but what is interesting is that the new forbids citizens from wearing masks or headcoverings which prevent police from making identifications. So, what are the police wearing when they emerge from his apartment after confiscation of his computers and papers?



 
 
 

[mendeleyev]

Permits to protest are still available as far as I know.

 I take it then that you haven't seen the process of obtaining one. Chivo, of all readers I understand that you know what a Russian stonewall can be like if a government office wants to ignore or deny you something. Possible? Yes. Difficult? Also yes.

http://pik.tv/en/news/story/39848-russian-opposition-set-to-march-on-moscow-june-12
 
 
 
 
 

laws are not set in stone yet.

Would you kindly inform the Chief Prosecutor, the directorship of the Ministry of the Interior, the Police, and the President? They are under a different understanding.

As far as I know, people can still protest, just with limits on the number and how they do it.

Again, are you familiar with Article 31 of the Russian Federation Constitution?

Chivo, how does the new law read exactly? You've commented on it so I'd like to know if you've read it.


 

[mendeleyev]

There will be another protest  later this year

I think that you meant yesterday.

It was in Gagarin, about 90 minutes outside of Moscow.

The opposition leaders are taking a different tact--education of voters, walking thru neighborhoods and parks instead of just mass street rallies. Read about it at novayagazeta.ru/society/53311.html or the Mendeleyev Journal.