March 1, 2010 — Contents

MONDAY MARCH 1 CONTENTS

(1)   EDITORIAL:  The Putin Economy in Shambles

(2)  EDITORIAL:  United Russia, Party of Murderers

(3)  Kasparov calls Europe to Arms on Russia

(4)  “Innovation City” nothing but Potemkin Fraud

(5)  CARTOON

NOTE:  Video on the life of an African in Moscow.

NOTE:  Our next issue will be a special one, devoted to coverage of Russia’s shocking collapse at the Winter Olympiad in Vancouver.  Don’t miss it!

EDITORIAL: The Putin Economy in Shambles

EDITORIAL

The Putin Economy in Shambles

We learned last week that merger and acquisition activity in Russia fell a shocking 62% last year.  Activity in the areas of consumer goods and retail, financial services and metals and mining was even worse, down a devastating 80%.  Investors spurned Russian risk with a furious vengeance, and for this same reason the Russian stock market’s value remains utterly puny compared to the theoretical value of the assets it represents.

The world, you see Mr. Putin, is getting wise to you.

EDITORIAL: United Russia, Party of Murderers

EDITORIAL

United Russia, Party of Murderers

In our last issue, we publicized a horrific motor vehicle assault, captured on YouTube, in which a Russian driver in the city of Irkutsk mowed down two defenseless pedestrians and then ignored their plight, worrying only about placing a phone call and inspecting her car for damage.  No other drivers stopped their cars to help, and pedestrians also ignored the victims.  Yelena Pyatakova, 34, died later in hospital while her 27-year-old sister, Yulia, suffered serious injuries.  No action was taken by the police agains the driver.  It was Russian barbarism laid bare, and we did not dare imagine it could get worse.

But worse it did get.

Kasparov calls Europe to Arms on Russia

Garry Kasparov, writing in The Guardian  with the endorsement of a host of Russian human rights activists (the article has drawn more than 100 comments):

In the capitals of European democracies, leaders are hailing a new era of co-operation with Russia. Berlin claims a “special relationship” with Moscow and is moving forward on a series of major energy projects with Russian energy giant Gazprom, one of which is led by the former German chancellor Gerhard Schröder. Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi traveled to St Petersburg late last year to join in the celebration of his “great friend” Vladimir Putin’s 59th birthday. And in Paris, negotiations are under way for a major arms sale that would allow Russia to acquire one of the most advanced ships in the French navy.

At the same time, democratic dissent inside Russia has been ruthlessly suppressed. On 31 January, the Russian government refused to allow the peaceful assembly of citizens who demonstrated in support of … the right to free assembly, enshrined in article 31 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation: the right “to gather peacefully and to hold meetings, rallies, demonstrations, marches and pickets”.

“Innovation City” nothing but another Potemkin Fraud

Vladimir Ryzhkov, writing in the Moscow Times:

Several high-ranking officials were quick to dismiss the proposals put forward in a much-discussed report by the Institute of Contemporary Development, the liberal Moscow-based think tank. The report suggests that Russia can modernize only if it develops a strategy for invigorating and strengthening state and social institutions. Proposals include the need for democratic control over state bureaucracy and siloviki agencies, an independent judiciary, political competition and direct elections for the Federation Council and governors.

Although Medvedev is the institute’s chairman of the board of trustees, he said he didn’t read the report, although he received it well in advance of its release Feb. 3. And, at an economics forum in Krasnoyarsk on Feb. 12 and 13, Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov quipped that the government already has enough qualified economic and political specialists on staff that it doesn’t need a lot of outside advice.

CARTOON

On the back of the uniform is the word: "POLICE."

Source:  Ellustrator.