Crime in the FSU

[SANDRO43]

Also women's suffrage.  The original scope of suffrage was basically white dudes. HA! But through time amendments corrected the original compromises.

True enough, though in some cases the process was VERY sedate: the Swiss finally allowed their women to vote in federal elections and stand for parliament after a national referendum in 1971 .

Here's a rather interesting chronological listing : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_women's_suffrage.

[chivo]

Last Summer I was just outside Moscow and watched a policeman standing at the side of a highway flagging down trucks, each of which he demanded a bribe from. In the 30 or so minutes I waited for a bus I saw him take dozens of bribes, completely, unabashedly in view of anyone who cared to look.

Does it happen in the US? Sure, but nowhere near the extent that it does in Russia, and it's disingenuous to suggest it does...

They say that perception is reality, but is it really?

Maybe you're just not looking hard enough, or maybe its just a matter of semantics.

Either way, corruption happens more often than we think, and not just in Russia. Some of us just use different words to condition our thinking in believing it's just, well, like "under the law".

If I remember correctly, and I do, the NYPD was one of the most corrupt departments in the country a few years back.

maybe you'll find these funny, thought provoking, maybe feeling slightly hypocritical for your comment, or maybe it will just reinforce your ideals.

I mean the "roads" are better there. good luck as usual.

chivo

http://www.cyberessays.com/Politics/141.htm

http://www.exile.ru/2006-March-24/bribe_to_live_live_to_bribe.html

[Mir]

<sub>Hey Chivco

I am waiting for someone to say that you are quoting socialist propaganda





FAUST:

Nun gut, wer bist du denn?

MEPHISTOPHELES:

Ein Teil von jener Kraft, Die stets das Böse will und stets das Gute schafft.</sub>

[groovlstk]

I think it is quite interesting how the views of those who live in the FSU such as chivo and myself differ from those who don't as it relates to crime and feeling safe in the FSU.  Kinda puts the debate in perspective.

My wife spent 28 years in Russia, so does her opinion as it relates to crime and feeling safer in the USA trump your perspective as well as chivo's?

[Turkey]

<sub>Hey Chivco

I am waiting for someone to say that you are quoting socialist propaganda





FAUST:

Nun gut, wer bist du denn?

MEPHISTOPHELES:

Ein Teil von jener Kraft, Die stets das Böse will und stets das Gute schafft.</sub>

Ha!   I hope that everyone is taking this thread with good humor and that no one is offended.

This does remind though, Mir, of a joke going around after the Berlin Wall fell.  It went something like this:  The only communist left are in N Korea, Cuba, China, Vietnam and American Universities   Though it looks like the China and Vietnam these days are sliding from socialism so maybe there's hope for them yet 

[SANDRO43]

Mir, if you keep on using such a small font, you will not have to worry about being put on Ignore, people will not see your posts anyway .

[ScottinCrimea]

groov, Maybe she trumps, maybe not.  My observations are limited to Ukraine so maybe I trump her there.  It also will depend on where she lived and when she left.  I know my wife describes the chaos in Ukraine that occurred after they broke away from the FSU and it sounds like it was a pretty unhealthy place to live for awhile, but over the last few years there has been a significant improvement.  For example, everyone discusses the police flagging drivers down for bribes.  The government stated that they would work on this and, to be honest, I have seen a heck of a lot less of this happening over the past year or two, though it still does happen far too much.  But then I'm sure everyone here is familiar with speed traps that are employed by some areas to boost income.  The only difference is they use radar guns instead of batons.  Methods of corruption, legal abuse and crime are just given fancier names in the US and they have learned how to hide it better, but it's all the same.

[groovlstk]

Scott,

I think it's completely dependent upon where we're all living.

I'm sure my wife's impressions would be much different if we were living in the Bronx. I've also been to Simferopal and it seemed to me a safer place to walk the streets at 3AM than Moscow. I guess it comes down to location, location, location.

[ScottinCrimea]

You're right, maybe my impressions have been tainted by where I live.  Perhaps if I was living in Kiev, Odessa or Kharkov, for example, my views would be quite different.

[Mir]

Mir, if you keep on using such a small font, you will not have to worry about being put on Ignore, people will not see your posts anyway .

Perhaps a good thing for all concerned