Reforming Russia?

[mendeleyev]

From the Mendeleyev Journal...

Like previous protest marches in Moscow this one was billed as a march of millions, and just like the others, tens of thousands came but police withheld official numbers from the media. The organizers must be pleased however as the crowd was large enough to make an impression on those in the Kremlin who had hoped that draconian laws aimed at punishing protesters apparently haven't scared off enough of the opposition.

Organizers held a permit until 10pm and the rally ended just before the deadline as police began to direct participants toward nearby Metro stations.  As late afternoon light began to fade in the last hours, opposition figure Aleksi Navalny took this photo of the plaza on his mobile telephone camera:


(Alexi Navalny photo of crowd from speakers platform.)

We feature this photo because official Russian media reports claim that the event was lightly attended. In fact, Voice of Russia Radio, a fine group of journalists in many respects but whose paychecks are signed by Vladimir Putin, described it throughout the day as the "march without the millions" totally ignoring both the number of Moscow's crowd in the light of new laws designed to punish protesters. They also estimated the march in Saint Petersburg as having no more than 800 people, a grossly under-inflated number.

Three things struck us as significant about yesterday's 15 September event in Moscow:

1- The overall peaceful reaction of the police to the protesters. While police in other cities went to their usual extremes, and we'll document that in an upcoming report, the Moscow rally was tame in comparison to other rallies.


(photo: Maria Perfileva)

Young police recruits made up the first line of police but just behind them are the feared OMOH Interior Ministry troops.

2- The addition of older Russians to the opposition movement was very obvious in every city, especially so in Moscow. The addition of an older element should have the Kremlin folk shaking in their boots. The bread and butter over 50-year-old voter that Vladimir Putin desperately needs to control if he is to remain in power seems to be growing weary of their leader if the numbers in Saturday's crowds were any indication.


(photo: Maria Perfileva)

The age of the average rally participant at times seemed skewed toward middle age more than any previous opposition march.


(photo: Aleksandra Astakhova)

If the 15 September march holds any signs, Putin is in danger of losing his older voter base.


(photo: Aleksandra Astakhova)

3- The "Pussy Riot" trial backfired on the administration and if the Kremlin is smart, they'll heed Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev's call to drop the band's recent prison sentence and set the band free based on time already served.

It has been obvious in recent weeks that the "Pussy Riot" affair has been adopted as a symbol of opposition to the government.  On Saturday, everywhere one turned the band's trademark balaclava masks were ever-present on banners, t-shirts, graffiti, and balloons.


(photo: Aleksandra Astakhova)

You've probably seen previous march photos on this same route. City officials like this avenue named for the late Soviet dissident Andre Sarkharov as it narrows in several places and makes it easier for police to control the flow of the march.

As with previous marches, many of the most creative banners, t-shirts, signs, and balloons were those aimed directly at Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Mendeleyev Journal will cover some of those banners and signs in a future report.
                         

[mendeleyev]

Opinion in the Mendeleyev Journal today:

Financial fraud or tax evasion. Those seem to be the easiest ways to make it appear that rogue investigations and jail sentences are carried out in accordance with standards of justice and the rule of law. For Russia, and in neighboring Ukraine, those are also the quickest ways to silence political opponents.

When masked investigators stormed into the Yekaterinburg offices of popular regional news organization www.Ura.ru on Thursday, few people believed that investigators were serious about the newspaper embezzling 10 million rubles from it's own bank account.





Yesterday as armed investigators raided the offices, journalists were locked in a second floor office without being told the reason for the raid. " The last posting on Publisher Panova's Facebook page read, У нас идут обыски. Всех журналистов URA.Ru заблокировали на втором этаже редакции. ("We are being searched. All journalists of URA.ru are locked in the office of the publisher.")

Now it just so happens that the organizations editor-in-chief, Aksana Panova, and her staff have been very reform minded, often critical of President Putin's handpicked governor of the Sverdlovsk region, Yevgeny Kuivashev. Area prosecutors and other government officials, most belonging to Putin's United Russia party, have also come under scrutiny by Ura News.


(photo: Ura.ru)

Masked members of Russia's Special Forces were part of the police raid of Ural News. Police spokesmen however insist that the raid was to investigate financial fraud. Investigators confiscated documents and computers and also conducted searches of journalist's homes.

Prominent Moscow newspaper publisher Alexander Lebedev was recently told not to leave the country as he is under government investigation. Lebedev is part owner and publisher of Moscow's Novaya Gazeta newspaper where 4 journalists have been mysteriously murdered in recent years.


(Photo: The Independent, London)

Lebedev, part owner of Novaya Gazeta calls the charges against him politically motivated. He is identified as a member of Russia's opposition and a supporter of anti-corruption reform attorney Alexei Navalny. Lebedev is worth 1.1 billion according to Forbes and says that authorities want him to leave the country. Since returning to the presidency of Russia, Vladimir Putin has begun a crackdown on Russia's growing opposition movement.
           

[OlgaH]

Video statement from Kenneth Roth, Executive Director, Human Rights Watch

(Moscow, October 4, 2012) -- The hostile climate in Russia for human rights work is worsening, Human Rights Watch said today. At a time when legislative amendments impose new restrictions on civil society and the Russian government is seeking to marginalize human rights groups, a senior Human Rights Watch researcher has received a series of text messages making direct and implicit threats to her.

Earlier this week, Human Rights Watch reported these threats sent to the mobile phone of Tanya Lokshina, senior Russia researcher, and urged Russian authorities to launch a prompt and comprehensive investigation and to hold those responsible accountable.

[calmissile]

Opinion in the Mendeleyev Journal today:

Financial fraud or tax evasion. Those seem to be the easiest ways to make it appear that rogue investigations and jail sentences are carried out in accordance with standards of justice and the rule of law. For Russia, and in neighboring Ukraine, those are also the quickest ways to silence political opponents.

When masked investigators stormed into the Yekaterinburg offices of popular regional news organization www.Ura.ru on Thursday, few people believed that investigators were serious about the newspaper embezzling 10 million rubles from it's own bank account.





Yesterday as armed investigators raided the offices, journalists were locked in a second floor office without being told the reason for the raid. " The last posting on Publisher Panova's Facebook page read, У нас идут обыски. Всех журналистов URA.Ru заблокировали на втором этаже редакции. ("We are being searched. All journalists of URA.ru are locked in the office of the publisher.")

Now it just so happens that the organizations editor-in-chief, Aksana Panova, and her staff have been very reform minded, often critical of President Putin's handpicked governor of the Sverdlovsk region, Yevgeny Kuivashev. Area prosecutors and other government officials, most belonging to Putin's United Russia party, have also come under scrutiny by Ura News.


(photo: Ura.ru)

Masked members of Russia's Special Forces were part of the police raid of Ural News. Police spokesmen however insist that the raid was to investigate financial fraud. Investigators confiscated documents and computers and also conducted searches of journalist's homes.

Prominent Moscow newspaper publisher Alexander Lebedev was recently told not to leave the country as he is under government investigation. Lebedev is part owner and publisher of Moscow's Novaya Gazeta newspaper where 4 journalists have been mysteriously murdered in recent years.


(Photo: The Independent, London)

Lebedev, part owner of Novaya Gazeta calls the charges against him politically motivated. He is identified as a member of Russia's opposition and a supporter of anti-corruption reform attorney Alexei Navalny. Lebedev is worth 1.1 billion according to Forbes and says that authorities want him to leave the country. Since returning to the presidency of Russia, Vladimir Putin has begun a crackdown on Russia's growing opposition movement.
           

Mendy,
I realize your sensitivites are primary the affect on journalists, but I am curious as to how these changes in direction affect the common citizens and businessmen.  It does not look to good for both Russia and Ukraine for the future?

[mendeleyev]

In just about any society, media is a two way communication of government to the people and of people to the government. In a major sense, media is the primary voice of the people. When media is intimidated and silenced it is for the purpose of intimidating and silencing the general population.

The near term prospects are not good.

[mendeleyev]

From the Mendeleyev Journal:

It took a moment to recognize the person on the banner hung from a building across the street from the Kremlin. After a brief moment a younger Vladimir Putin unfolded, shown in glasses while gazing off into the future, thoughtful and studious. Russia you see, is coming to terms with a 60 year old president, a man obsessed with appearing younger than his age.




The banner hangs from the same building that last year was used by protesters to hang anti-Putin banners. So when a YouTube video went public with how the banner was placed there by a group of young men, of course we wanted to see how it was done. Watch.





Channel One was busy through the day interviewing primary school children who gushed their appreciation for Russia's leader, however it turns out that not all Russians were willing to wish Mr. Putin good health and prosperity on his birthday. The ones who dared to protest on his birthday in public were quickly bused off to jail by police.







More than a few of these were seen around Russia under the heading of Конец ограничения скорости (end of 60 speed zone).
Not everyone was out to protest and in fact most Russian's seemed not to care one way or another. Those who did care seemed in general to go over the top in worship of their president.

One Russian artist put on a display of paintings designed to demonstrate the caring but firm side of Putin. Titled "President--the kindest person" it was as if a scene from North Korean worship of a leader had been transplanted on Russian soil. That would be a frightening thought.





Of course there will always be pranks played out by the younger generation. These young fellows were lucky to get away before being caught. Setting up their "kindest person" leader on the garden square in from of the KGB's famous Lubyanka prison, they did however attract a crowd before their statue of Mr Putin, attired in judo clothing, could be removed by a policeman who emerged from the prison to dismantle their display.





His supporters lauded the day as one of significance in Russian history, repeating Putin's campaign themes of the United States as being the enemy of Russia and extolling Putin as the firm leader who would guide Russia to her status as a world power in this decade.


!
   

[mendeleyev]

(The Mendeleyev Journal)

The phrase "Russia shot herself while aiming at something else" was often heard by Russians in the early days of post-Communist freedom and the ensuing period of economic chaos. That idea resurfaced with today's headline at prominent Russian news outlet Gazeta read "ЕР готовит запрет на усыновление американцами детей из России" (translation: United Russia is preparing a ban on adoptions of Russian children by Americans.)

In striking back at the USA for passage of the "Magnitsky Act" to punish corrupt Russian officials for alleged human rights violations, embezzlement and the alleged torture and murder of whistle-blowing lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, Russia's United Russia ruling party is preparing legislation to ban adoption of Russian orphans by American families. The newspaper reported that the bill specifically prohibits the adoption of Russian children by U.S. citizens, and will clamp down on the activities of organizations who facilitate adoptions.

By the end of the day the State Duma Committee on Constitutional Legislation and State announced that the legislation was fully drafted and approved for introduction to Parliament by the end of this week.


The House of Parliament (дума = "Duma") in Moscow.

If passed, the legislation will break the Agreement on Cooperation for Adoption, signed by then-President Dmitry Medvedev in Washington on 13 July 2011 after the government threatened to end adoptions by American families based on the death of Russian orphan Dima Yakovlev who died after adoption by an American family. United Russia members of Parliament also warned of proposed amendments including a condemnation of the United States for alleged violations of the "fundamental rights and freedoms" of prisoners held at Guantánamo Bay.

In addition to putting the final nail in the coffin of remaining American NGO's which will be closed should the bill pass, but the legislation also seeks to prohibit Russians who have U.S. citizenship to be engaged in Russia's political activities. This was expected following similar comments last week by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Reaction in the capital has been varied depending on which side one takes and perhaps one opposition figure said it best by posting on social media that, "In response to the fact that U.S. lawmakers stripped Russian killers the right to hide stolen money or buy property in the U.S., Russian legislators deprive Russian orphans opportunity to be adopted into American families...(so now the) consequences of protecting these criminals means that the Russian authorities have decided to punish Russian orphans."

[jone]

My niece is an adopted russian baby.  I cannot imagine her life if my sister and brother-in-law had not brought her back to the US.  She is now in high school and is (of course being from Russia) a beauty.  Her brothers have to fight off her wanna-be boyfriends.  Her home before she came to the states?  One of the smaller cities near Murmansk. 

[Chicagoguy]

To stop the adoptions is like cutting your nose to spite your face. The Russian children lose the most.

[mendeleyev]

Agreed. This is akin to the Tsars sending waves of men holding fake wood carved rifles into the line of fire.

[mendeleyev]

The Mendeleyev Journal:

Wow, as of the most recent count, over 38,000 electronic signatures have been added to a petition asking the Obama administration to punish members of the Russian Duma who voted to end the adoption of Russian children by American families. The recent "Magnitsky Act" passed by the US Congress and signed into law takes measures to punish Russian officials involved in the alleged torture and murder of Russian Hermitage whistle-blower Sergei Magnitsky.

Russian President Vladimir Putin reacted immediately and his party United Russia hastily pushed thru a bill in the Russian Duma (Parliament) to strip the rights of Russian orphans to be adopted by American families as a response to the American Magnitsky Act. An official treaty between the two countries allows American families to adopt Russian orphans.




Only American citizens can initiate a petition but anyone around the world can sign an existing petition and members of the Russian opposition are using social media to promote the petition with the appropriate links.

For Russian readers:
Петиция в защиту российских сирот и включения в "список Магницкого" тех депутатов Госдумы, которые подписали #законподлецов, была создана на сайте проекта "We the People" 21 декабря, а 22 декабря попала в открытый доступ после того, как набрала необходимые для этого 150 голосов. Создать петицию может любой резидент Соединенных Штатов, но для подписания петиции не нужно быть гражданином США, достаточно регистрации на сайте Белого дома. Депутаты-изверги испуганны стремительным ростом количества подписавших петицию.  (From a Russian opposition activist)

[mendeleyev]

www.MendeleyevJournal.com

Each 1 January Grandfather Frost and his granddaughter the Snow Maiden visit Russia's parliament. Shown here last year is Grandfather Frost and the Snow Maiden greeting the Federation Council, the upper chamber of the Federation. Perhaps this coming 1 January they will present each Senator with a bag of coal?


Russia's Federal Council visited by Grandfather Frost and the Snow Maiden.
(Фото: Дмитрий Духанин / Коммерсантъ)


Russia's Parliament, the Duma and Federation Council, has approved a ban on US citizens adopting Russian orphans labeled as the Dima Yakovlev bill. The upper chamber of parliament, the Federation Council, voted unanimously on the controversial ban and now Russian President Vladimir Putin will either sign the bill or set it aside. While some say that he and his majority party are simply grandstanding and that Mr. Putin will not sign the bill, in his annual call-in show last week he announced that he supported the bill and said that he would sign it into law if it passed. His signature would mean that the law goes into effect on 1 January 2013.

The Federation Council has 178 members, two for each region across Russia. Half the membership is appointed by the President and the Council serves as the upper body of Parliament (Duma). Although it does not have the power to reject legislation outright without sending a bill back to the lower House for reconsideration, legislation does require passage of the upper Assembly before it can be submitted to the President. The Federation Council may override a presidential veto with a 3/4 majority vote.


Twenty Federation Council members seem to have boycotted the vote in protest by calling in sick:
1. Larisa Ponomareva (from Chukotka)
 2. Boris Isaakovich (Penza region)
 3. Vitaly Bogdanov (from Kursk region)
 4. Vladimir B. Rushailo (from the Arkhangelsk region)
 5. Gennadiy Gorbunov (from the Astrakhan region)
 6. Vyacheslav Fetisov (from Primorsky Krai)
 7. Mezhevich Valentin Efimovich (from the Irkutsk region)
 8. Sinyagin Alexander Mikhailovich (from the Vladimir region)
 9. Kozharova Hatuevich Albert (from Kabardino-Balkaria)
 10. Polankoev Ahmet Magomedovich (Republic of Ingushetia)
 11. Trees Vyacheslav (from Karachay-Cherkess Republic)
 12. Vitaly Ignatenko (from Krasnodar Territory)
 13. Dobrynin Tsiolkovsky (from the Arkhangelsk region)
 14. Vyacheslav Novikov (from Krasnoyarsk Territory)
 15. Victor S. stringers (from Novosibirsk region)
 16. Vadim Albertovich tulips (from St. Petersburg)
 17. Suleiman Kerimov Abusaidovich (from the Republic of Dagestan)
 18. Ivanov, Aleksandr (Karachevo-Cherkesskaya)
 At the time of publication we believe the other two members to be Senators Malkin and Petrov.

The Council's highest ranking member, Speaker Valentina Matviyenko, had originally said that she would not vote for the legislation but apparently changed her mind when it came time to vote.



Protesters outside the Federation Council Chambers were met by police.
(Фото: Василий Шапошников / Коммерсантъ)

Polls inside the country show that most Russians disapprove of the bill.

Russian’s children’s Ombudsman Pavel Astakhov released a statement saying that the near immediate adoption of 46 Russian children already approved and scheduled will be put on hold pending the President's signature.

[jone]

Happy Christmas Everyone!

This is some serious stuff.  Talk about bad PR..... in an effort to hurt the United States, they hurt their own children.  That is irresponsible legilsation.  It wouldn't be so bad except that it appears the Duma is running headlong into a groupthink mentality.  And the decision has no fiscal impact or even a public relations impact on the United States except to show everyone how unthinking they are.

Absent the old Warsaw Pact, the Russians do not have anyone to give the US a black eye except themselves.  They do so very poorly and without much thought.

-j

[Larry1]

It is despicable to retaliate against another government by preventing its citizens from adopting Russian orphans.   I know there have been some Russian orphans who were mistreated after they arrived here, but it seems that almost all have been treated well by their new families.  I've known two families who have adopted Russian orphans.  Both families are very nice people, went through a lot to adopt the children, and won't mistreat them. 

Another woman I exchanged messages with had adopted two children from the Stavropol region of Russia and had plans to adopt a third, which this law will prevent.  She told some stories and shared some photos of the orphanage.  She said the woman who ran it was a very nice woman but had little money to buy things for the kids.  This American family had taken a number of trips there, and on every trip brought suitcases of things for the children at the orphanage.

Living in an orphanage cannot compare with living with an adoptive family.  When I was a child I played baseball with two kids from a nearby orphanage.  They were named Walter and Daryl.  Walter had an aunt or grandmother who visited him sometimes but I don't think Daryl ever had any family visit him. In those days I often wondered what it would be like to have had to live in an orphanage.  I suppose that's because I was adopted. If I had not been adopted I would have spent my childhood in an orphanage.

It hardly seems fathomable for a country's leaders to send this political signal by enacting a law whose main affect will be to harm its weakest citizens: little orphaned children.

[calmissile]

www.MendeleyevJournal.com

Each 1 January Grandfather Frost and his granddaughter the Snow Maiden visit Russia's parliament. Shown here last year is Grandfather Frost and the Snow Maiden greeting the Federation Council, the upper chamber of the Federation. Perhaps this coming 1 January they will present each Senator with a bag of coal?


Russia's Federal Council visited by Grandfather Frost and the Snow Maiden.
(Фото: Дмитрий Духанин / Коммерсантъ)


Russia's Parliament, the Duma and Federation Council, has approved a ban on US citizens adopting Russian orphans labeled as the Dima Yakovlev bill. The upper chamber of parliament, the Federation Council, voted unanimously on the controversial ban and now Russian President Vladimir Putin will either sign the bill or set it aside. While some say that he and his majority party are simply grandstanding and that Mr. Putin will not sign the bill, in his annual call-in show last week he announced that he supported the bill and said that he would sign it into law if it passed. His signature would mean that the law goes into effect on 1 January 2013.

The Federation Council has 178 members, two for each region across Russia. Half the membership is appointed by the President and the Council serves as the upper body of Parliament (Duma). Although it does not have the power to reject legislation outright without sending a bill back to the lower House for reconsideration, legislation does require passage of the upper Assembly before it can be submitted to the President. The Federation Council may override a presidential veto with a 3/4 majority vote.


Twenty Federation Council members seem to have boycotted the vote in protest by calling in sick:
1. Larisa Ponomareva (from Chukotka)
 2. Boris Isaakovich (Penza region)
 3. Vitaly Bogdanov (from Kursk region)
 4. Vladimir B. Rushailo (from the Arkhangelsk region)
 5. Gennadiy Gorbunov (from the Astrakhan region)
 6. Vyacheslav Fetisov (from Primorsky Krai)
 7. Mezhevich Valentin Efimovich (from the Irkutsk region)
 8. Sinyagin Alexander Mikhailovich (from the Vladimir region)
 9. Kozharova Hatuevich Albert (from Kabardino-Balkaria)
 10. Polankoev Ahmet Magomedovich (Republic of Ingushetia)
 11. Trees Vyacheslav (from Karachay-Cherkess Republic)
 12. Vitaly Ignatenko (from Krasnodar Territory)
 13. Dobrynin Tsiolkovsky (from the Arkhangelsk region)
 14. Vyacheslav Novikov (from Krasnoyarsk Territory)
 15. Victor S. stringers (from Novosibirsk region)
 16. Vadim Albertovich tulips (from St. Petersburg)
 17. Suleiman Kerimov Abusaidovich (from the Republic of Dagestan)
 18. Ivanov, Aleksandr (Karachevo-Cherkesskaya)
 At the time of publication we believe the other two members to be Senators Malkin and Petrov.

The Council's highest ranking member, Speaker Valentina Matviyenko, had originally said that she would not vote for the legislation but apparently changed her mind when it came time to vote.



Protesters outside the Federation Council Chambers were met by police.
(Фото: Василий Шапошников / Коммерсантъ)

Polls inside the country show that most Russians disapprove of the bill.

Russian’s children’s Ombudsman Pavel Astakhov released a statement saying that the near immediate adoption of 46 Russian children already approved and scheduled will be put on hold pending the President's signature.

Sounds like a real democracy.  Half of the upper council is appointed by the president?   LOL

[calmissile]

It is despicable to retaliate against another government by preventing its citizens from adopting Russian orphans.   I know there have been some Russian orphans who were mistreated after they arrived here, but it seems that almost all have been treated well by their new families.  I've known two families who have adopted Russian orphans.  Both families are very nice people, went through a lot to adopt the children, and won't mistreat them. 

Another woman I exchanged messages with had adopted two children from the Stavropol region of Russia and had plans to adopt a third, which this law will prevent.  She told some stories and shared some photos of the orphanage.  She said the woman who ran it was a very nice woman but had little money to buy things for the kids.  This American family had taken a number of trips there, and on every trip brought suitcases of things for the children at the orphanage.

Living in an orphanage cannot compare with living with an adoptive family.  When I was a child I played baseball with two kids from a nearby orphanage.  They were named Walter and Daryl.  Walter had an aunt or grandmother who visited him sometimes but I don't think Daryl ever had any family visit him. In those days I often wondered what it would be like to have had to live in an orphanage.  I suppose that's because I was adopted. If I had not been adopted I would have spent my childhood in an orphanage.

It hardly seems fathomable for a country's leaders to send this political signal by enacting a law whose main affect will be to harm its weakest citizens: little orphaned children.

Putin is beginning to worry me.

[mendeleyev]

Sounds like a real democracy.  Half of the upper council is appointed by the president?

Doug, to expand further, none of the Senators are elected directly by the people. Each region has 2 of which one is appointed by the local regional legislature and the other by the governor of the region (or President of the local Republic). The governor submits a list to the President of the Russian Federation and then appoints one after consultation with Moscow.

Further, the governors themselves are appointed by the President. A law passed in the final months of the Medvedev presidency that returned the election of governors to the people is in deliberations for being repealed as we speak. It looks as if that law was just window dressing to satisfy the opposition last year and soon it is very likely that governors will again be appointed by the president.

Each region has a presidential Envoy assigned by the President. This Envoy answers directly to the president and has the ability to override regional decisions or enforce federal policies as needed. He/She can also fire governors on the president's orders. There are 11 Federal Envoys appointed by the President: One for each of the 8 federal districts, one to oversee the Duma (lower parliament), one to oversee the Federation Council (upper parliament), and one to oversee the Constitutional Court (Supreme Court).

Parts of this system are technically unconstitutional and a result of the Putin reforms after the Beslan tragedy which was used in the campaign to fight internal terrorism.

[Eduard]

It is despicable to retaliate against another government by preventing its citizens from adopting Russian orphans.   I know there have been some Russian orphans who were mistreated after they arrived here, but it seems that almost all have been treated well by their new families.  I've known two families who have adopted Russian orphans.  Both families are very nice people, went through a lot to adopt the children, and won't mistreat them. 

Another woman I exchanged messages with had adopted two children from the Stavropol region of Russia and had plans to adopt a third, which this law will prevent.  She told some stories and shared some photos of the orphanage.  She said the woman who ran it was a very nice woman but had little money to buy things for the kids.  This American family had taken a number of trips there, and on every trip brought suitcases of things for the children at the orphanage.

Living in an orphanage cannot compare with living with an adoptive family.  When I was a child I played baseball with two kids from a nearby orphanage.  They were named Walter and Daryl.  Walter had an aunt or grandmother who visited him sometimes but I don't think Daryl ever had any family visit him. In those days I often wondered what it would be like to have had to live in an orphanage.  I suppose that's because I was adopted. If I had not been adopted I would have spent my childhood in an orphanage.

It hardly seems fathomable for a country's leaders to send this political signal by enacting a law whose main affect will be to harm its weakest citizens: little orphaned children.

This is a knee jerk reaction, not much different from the Democrats calling for a ban of rifles after the Connecticut tragedy in the US. Neither makes sense but there are people in both countries who will not let a "crisis go to waste" and use it to push their agenda. 

[Eduard]

Parts of this system are technically unconstitutional and a result of the Putin reforms after the Beslan tragedy which was used in the campaign to fight internal terrorism.

Funny to watch how while they are becoming more like us, we are becoming more like them. The same can be said for all the new rules implemented after the 9/11 tragedy. More and more we are moving away from the constitution and our freedoms are being taken away by the ever growing government.

[ML]

Absent the old Warsaw Pact, the Russians do not have anyone to give the US a black eye except themselves.  They do so very poorly and without much thought.

Actually Russia (and the FSU) in a round about way are responsible for giving the USA an an increasing amount of black eyes every year.

When the SU existed, everyone else (except the French) wanted to be a friend
of big brother USA who would carry the burden of protecting the little ones.  The French wanted us to carry the burden, and still not be our friend.

With the demise of FSU, the little ones feel less and less a need to be nice to big brother.

Watching the recent Miss Universe contest, I was describing to my Gal how it reminds of the black eyes the USA is getting at every turn.  In the contest, we all look for the tiniest flaws we can find in the gals, despite their near perfectness.  It is somehow human nature to try to tear down those at the top so we don't feel so far down the pecking order.

The analogy that when we were needed, everyone outside USA resented it and were jealous of us, and looked for the tiniest flaws.  But they mostly kept their feelings under wraps because of needing our protection.  Now they feel free to give full vent to this jealously, although careful to couch it in terms of our failings rather than their own inadequacies.

It will be interesting to see the 180 degree turns that will occur as Russia increasingly asserts itself again.

[Belvis]

With the demise of FSU, the little ones feel less and less a need to be nice to big brother.
...
It will be interesting to see the 180 degree turns that will occur as Russia increasingly asserts itself again.

The world is changing, I doubt the situation will be reproduced  like in Cold War times. China power factor is hard to forecast, and Europe can be different after its euro crisis outcome. Even France may start to like USA if Germany will keep close ties with Russia like back in middle XIX c.)

About Magnitsky Act: it was a good move, I'd like to see it extended to include the members of russian legislation. Russian stupid response was not caused by Magnitsky Act itself, the ban to prevent foreign citizens from adopting Russian orphans was discussed long time before. I'm not sure but the stupid russian ban may have a some positive effect for all russian orphans. The authorities have started to talk about measures to improve their status, at last.

[cc3]

Putin is beginning to worry me.

"...BEGINNING..."???

He is almost as dangerous to the future of Russia as Barack Obama is to the future of the US.

[Eduard]

"...BEGINNING..."???

He is almost as dangerous to the future of Russia as Barack Obama is to the future of the US.

yep, both have roots in Communist ideology... scary! 

[mendeleyev]

Excellent observations from each of you. Tip of the hat!

[Eduard]

Excellent observations from each of you. Tip of the hat!

Tell Vladimir I'll have more flexibility after the election!    Congratulations America! You are fu*&ed. I can't imagine what this country is gonna look like after another 4 years of this administration. We certainly are living in an interesting time now.