EDITORIAL
Putin’s Russia, Fading Fast
Public opinion polls show that only 13% of Russians (Russian-language link) believe that Dmitri Medvedev really holds presidential power in their country, even though he’s called “president.” More than twice as many think Vladimir Putin holds this power exclusively, and a whopping 78% of Russians believe Putin holds at least a share of presidential power. 64% of Russians believe that Putin’s actions are completely independent of Medvedev, while half that number think Medvedev can act independently.
Despite the scorn heaped upon the street demonstrators by the Putin regime and the Russophile rabble, a whopping 85% of Russians (Russian-language link) believe the Kremlin should listen to what the protesters have to say, yet less than 30% think the Kremlin actually is listening. If an election were held today, only 27% of Russians say they are ready to cast a vote for Putin, while a pathetic 20% are committed to voting for Medvedev.
These facts add up to just one conclusion: Russia is a dictatorship.
Since they clearly despise it, the Putin regime is scrambling rapidly to disenfranchise the people of Russia, most recently negating the election of Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov. Such attacks on regional and local leaders are more and more common, and they harken back to the bad old days of the USSR when every decision was made by isolated old men deep within the bowels of the Kremlin.
These decisions, as the report we carry in today’s issue from Vladimir Kara Murza makes clear, show unbridled contempt for the people of Russia. They show that Russia’s leaders — who are Russian themselves, they seem to have forgotten — do not believe Russians are capable of governing themselves.
They indicate that Putin’s Russia is doomed to fail just as surely as Brezhnev‘s USSR. Putin knows only one way to win an argument: Kill your opponent. He cannot argue based on facts, he cannot deliver results that impress, because he is utterly unqualified to do so. He only knows the ways of deception and violence, those are the only tools at his command. Russians were fooled for a while, but now they begin to see that Putin is no different than the idiots who lead the USSR to ruin.
Yet, the people of Russia are basically cowards, and Putin is a bloody maniac. This means that, just as in the Soviet times, there will be much suffering and bloodshed before Putin passes from the scene and Russia sinks deeper into the abyss of failure.
La Russophobe 
Strange no posts here too.. Hey, guys, let’s come support the team!
To all who regularly read, and sometimes, post comments on this blog:
Like myself, I perceive that the majority of those who routinely read/ and value this factual source of information about the mess that is current KGB-ruled Russia, do so, and do not make any comments. But, most of us, believe the truthfullness and the honest dedication of this La Russophobe blog, and of the articles posted on it. Further, when we glance at the comments, and we see that SOME of them are from (useless/mindless) Putler-internet trolling goons, or their air-headed sympathizers,….we tend to automatically NOT take as serous comments, these phonies. And, again, most of us who read this blog, and who respect and honour it, do NOT make any comments whatsoever. We are the proverbial, ‘silent majority’.
Why do I make these points?
-As a reminder to the haters/silly detractors of this blog and it’s staff: When you think that your side has ‘won the comment debate battle’, because you get no responding comments back in your face, ….that does NOT mean, that you have achieved ANY ‘victory’, ( by out-talking anyone), and if you imagine so, you are more idiotic than I ever could have thought.
SO, keep it up! La Russophobe! Hurray for you!
The proof that you are telling it, like it is, is exactly that these Kremlin-mouthpieces routinely attack you.
Most of your readers, are not fooled by them, though we often do not say so.
Daniel, I think you got it wrong again… No one is trying to detract you. And, provided how thick you are, no one expect to change your point of view. Those whom you call silly, useless and mindless point out blatant mistakes in your arguments, as well as try to explain to you how wrong you are in your judgements. As far as a “victory” is concerned… this blog has been predicting Russia’s collapse for about 4 years now. Its difficult to deny that Russia is better off now, in 2010, than it was in 2006 in pretty much all respects.
To “At”: Dear Mr. Reason and Light,
Since you seem to assume, I am referring to you, as ‘silly’, etc., then perhaps I am right on the mark-? So far, from what I have wasted my time on reading, under your ‘AT” moniker, I have read mostly propaganda nonsense. Most of what you say, is blatantly false and is just pure, pro-Kremlin propaganda, and not worth reading. When you try to denegrate this blog, you only show your true colours, and who and what you represent. And that is NOT, ‘reason and light’!…and most certainly NOT the truth either! And since when, has anyone expected THIS humble blog, to actually, by itself, CAUSE the overthrow of the present criminal regime in Russia?
You are simply laughable, Sir or Madam! as are all the lies and distortions of the facts, coming from the central KGB disinformation machine-which you are clearly plugged into.
But, thank God! poor dummy me, has wise you, to guide me along life’s paths,
otherwise I might fall into error! (?)…such as actually believing that the current MESS called the Russian Federation, will go on forever, the way it is now.
Erm, would you humor me and quote one specific example of propaganda or even of the pro-Kremlin position. I mean at least one? Also, how exactly am I trying to degenerate this blog? Show me one single distortion of facts contained in any of my posts? Liar!
Ay, come on, AT, let’s get real:) It’s not about explaining anything to PSCHK, nobody could ever do this, neither me, nor you, nor Einstein:) It’s all just about having fun. Lulz.
:)
— sure its about having fun these pearls are a rare find elsewhere: … “all the lies and distortions of the facts, coming from the central KGB disinformation machine-which you are clearly plugged into… ” Its the second one after the left and right in vertical columns I want to print out and frame
Pschk is right, however: I am stupid — I post all this and cannot find anyone to pay me money for this … at this blog, lots of people are convinced that I am well compensated for what I scribble… and I am not… this is unfair!
Me neither… But we get lulz in return, and lulz are the best pay:)
>> When you think that your side has
‘won the comment debate battle’ /…/>>
Deeply regret to inform you, honey, that as far as you phobes are concerned, your noises neither make any difference, nor any sense whatsoever, to the real world to be found outside your marvellous blog. We’re just here to have our daily refreshing doses of really cheap laughs. It’s like when I was a kid, finding profound amusement watching and hearing some alcoholics’ brawl on a park bench. The difference is that I’ll never feel any pity for you.
Dear “Manfred”:
Your own words convict you. You & your KGB paid co-horts, do not comment here, except for your ‘daily refreshing doses of cheap laughs’.
You do not even try to add any serious contributions to the discussions, you CANNOT refute the cruel facts, but only to block, to divert, to mock, to harass. It is the old KGB agent’s provocation mode, isn’t it, comrade?
Are you a German communist? or where did you dig up that Germanic sounding moniker of your’s? ( from some text book?).
But thanks for calling me, ‘honey’, pal.
Your silly comments, as those of your co-workers, give me lots of hearty laughs. Danke! & bolshoi spasebo!
Too bad that you waste the readers’ time, by your vapid comments here.
Do you really think, that we will believe your off-balanced/Kremlin defensive negative criticisms, and not believe the FACTS as coming from the heroic Russian dissidents? They are heros, while you are nothing but KGB flunkies and apparachniks. You will be wept away. Do you speak German? Then perhaps you can emmigrate to Germany? when Putin’s Wunderland collapses.
Thanks for the alcoholic laughs, pal! Ha! ha! ha!
Psalo (may I call you so?), why don’t you propose us a theme for a serious debate?:)
Mission complete, staryj droug (as can be seen a few posts below) !
^^ me happy:)
On September 28 in Khasavyurt, Dagestan, Interior Ministry Major-General Viktor Knyazhev announced that a temporary contingent of the ministry’s Internal Troops had been deployed to Dagestan. The general stated the purpose of the deployment was to help the local law enforcement agencies to stabilize the situation in the republic and provide public safety for the period of the electoral campaign in the run up to municipal elections on October 10. The exact number of additional troops is unknown, but bloggers reported that dozens of tanks, armored personnel carriers and trucks had arrived in the republic. The general said that Dagestan had been divided into five operative zones that were fully covered by the Interior Ministry units. Knyazhev promised there would be additional checkpoints and that the military would operate only with the consent of the local authorities and the police (www.kavkaz-uzel.ru, September 29).
There is oblique evidence that points to Moscow’s strategy going beyond simply providing a safe environment for the local elections. First of all, the present Russian leadership has repeatedly indicated its disregard for popular elections as such, curbing their importance in public life and undermining their credibility throughout the Russian Federation. So it is hard to see why Moscow would suddenly start caring about municipal elections in Dagestan.
Secondly, earlier in September, when the mothers of conscripted Russian soldiers in St. Petersburg protested their sons being sent to the North Caucasus in large numbers, they were given the explanation that the troops were sent to Dagestan to ensure the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games are held properly (www.bbc.co.uk, September 22). This indicates that Moscow is generally concerned about the insurgency’s activities in the North Caucasus and its potential to severely disrupt or even prevent the Sochi Olympic Games from taking place.
The chairman of the Dagestani independent law enforcement unions, Magomed Shamilov, welcomed the creation of a special Interior Ministry unit to fight the insurgency. Shamilov said his hope was that the policemen would cease being involved in essentially combat operations in order to prevent them from becoming targets of the insurgents. At the same time, he said he would prefer this unit to be staffed with non-Dagestanis, reasoning that “Dagestanis should not kill each other” (Kommerstant-Daily, September 25).
Meanwhile, during a visit to Dagestan on September 22, Moscow’s envoy to the North Caucasus, Aleksandr Khloponin, addressed Dagestani officials, telling them: “Stop grumbling and explaining that terrorism obstructs you. You should start doing something yourselves” (Kommersant-Daily, September 23). Thus Khloponin indicated that he was disillusioned by the incompetence of the existing local government in Dagestan, which Moscow itself installed and has continually propped up.
The latest developments in Dagestan show that Moscow, as before, is relying on brute force and terror to govern this increasingly volatile region. The mounting Russian military presence in Dagestan will most likely result in an escalation of violence. Moreover, if the troops become actively engaged in combat operations and become more visible in Dagestani streets, larger segments of the Dagestani population may become antagonistic towards Moscow.
Proposed Congress of peoples of Daghestan could prove explosive
Yesterday at 16:40 | Paul Goble
Daghestani President Magomedsalam Magomedov has called for the convention of a congress of peoples of his republic in order to consolidate society against extremism, but many fear this will be only a public relations stunt and some are concerned that it could prove explosive, given the high level of tensions there.
Read more: http://www.kyivpost.com/news/opinion/op_ed/detail/84944/#ixzz11W4q1Ub2
Zaur Cherilov, a Makhachkala resident with whom Kavkaz-uzel.ru spoke, also opposed the idea of the meeting. He said that he had never encountered terrorism but “on the other hand, each day I see incompetence, corruption, and the clanic quality of the bureaucrats, their triumph, the arbitrariness of the siloviki, the death of young people, and the collapse of infrastructure.”
Just how angry Daghestanis are was highlighted on Thursday, Sept.30 when approximately 100 people assembled there to protest against state terrorism in the republic, including cases of kidnapping by official forces.
The meeting called on Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to take steps to protect the rights of Daghestanis as “Russian citizens” and pointedly warned that this week’s meeting is “only the beginning” because “we will no longer put up with the illegality and ignoring of our rights. Our patience is at an end and it is better that you understand that.”
Sure thing, guys, this place was originally ment to be a library, so please continue with 5-screeners.
Who could possibly be there without you giving him a chance to read all the articles you find interesting – right here, right now.
To Robert,
Thank you for your very informative comments, as usual. YOUR comments, are worth reading, and add to the effectiveness of this blog.
And, thanks too to Les!…and to those all who know what they are talking about, and who share truthful information with us here. Your comments and links, are worth taking the time to read and to digest.
THANK YOU!
Wouldn’t it be helpful, if all the Kremlin liars would just skip this blog?
Sure, without those whom you call “Kremlin liars” (i.e. not anti-Russian racists), you could lie what you wanted. It would never cross your mind that an article claiming that 14,000 women killed in Russia annually is actually claiming that 90% of all murders in Russia were due to domestic violence. You would never know that murder rates have been going down in Russia for the last 10 years, that the birth rates have been improving, that the creation of the Stabilization Fund was a good idea… but why would you want to know that. You’d rather wonder cluelessly why Russians are not staging mass protests and rebellions…
thus leading to a situation in which Russian nationalism and “anti-Orthodoxy” are conflated.
Read more: http://www.kyivpost.com/news/opinion/op_ed/detail/85260/#ixzz11hTkkI8b
Psalomschick: “Wouldn’t it be helpful, if all the Kremlin liars would just skip this blog?”
Let me tell you we would not skip this blog since it’s the best indication Mr.Putin is on the right track. In other words the rightness of Putin can easily be measured by the degree of russophobia sponsored and presented here.
Right on the mark — brilliant, rts!
The phobes, as far as their mental capabilities are concerned, reminds one of an alcoholics’ brawl on a park bench. But, as you indicated, Putin’s perspicacity is exactly what fuels their tantrums.
I wouldn’t be so quick using that “we” because some of the Russophiles said many times they don’t support Putin. Isn’t that true, Dimitry?
Who told you that? I would support any government that does good for my country.
I cannot say I am all excited about Putin or his regime, but it looks like it is doing a fairly adequate job raising the living standards in the country. I am sure it could have been done better, but it could have been much worse too.
@I cannot say I am all excited about Putin or his regime, but it looks like it is doing a fairly adequate job raising the living standards in the country. I am sure it could have been done better, but it could have been much worse too
I cannot say I am all excited about Putin or his regime, but it looks like it is doing a fairly adequate job filling the mass graves in the country. I am sure it could have been done better, but it could have been much worse too.
So how many mass graves were filled last year? And how many mass graves outside Caucasus were filled in any year since, say 1953?
And how many were filled last year for example? Or in any year since 1953 outside the Caucasus?
@And how many were filled last year for example?
That’s a very good question. What exactly are they doing with the corpses of (actual and alleged) “bandits and terrorists”, anyway?
@Or in any year since 1953 outside the Caucasus?
Ask Memorial.
Looked at Memorial’s site — did not find any mentioning of any mass grave filling in Russia, granted with the exception to those related to Russia’s attempts to quell the Caucasus rebellion. As far as the bandits and terrorists are concerned, that’s a legitimate way of dealing with them. What do you expect any country to do with insurgents?
@As far as the bandits and terrorists are concerned, that’s a legitimate way of dealing with them. What do you expect any country to do with insurgents?
You mean, dead ones, presumably? Give them back to their families for a funeral, of course.
Even if the bodies are unclaimed, and even if we’re talking about actual terrorists, in the civilized countries with the a real law there is a civilized conduct. For example, body parts of the suicide bombers in Israel:
Or, this al-Qaeda graveyard in Afghanistan:
So, what exactly are they doing in Russia? And what happened to the body of Aslan Maskhadov?
Frankly, I cannot care less… and I meant live insurgents — they appear to be legitimate grave-filling material to me.
@Frankly, I cannot care less…
Maskhadov rescued the hundreds of corpses of the Russian soldiers so they couldn’t be completely eaten by dogs (and cats, and rats, and birds) in Grozny. They were collected and guarded against the animals, and they were not disposed off by burning against the epydemics in the city under siege. Makes you care, yet?
So, what happened to his body?
You know what is Russia, actually? It’s not the Upper Volta with missiles, or Nigeria with snow, like they say it is. It’s “Brazil” (a fictional early XXIst century dystopian, ineffective, fascist police state, with incredibly overblown beaurocracy, chaotic terrorist bombings, torture and disappearances, and consumerist-minded uncaring society), with corruption:
http://wiki.english.ucsb.edu/index.php/English_192_Brazil_Lecture_Notes#.22What_Have_You_Done_With_His_Body.3F.22:__Dystopia_and_the_Loss_of_the_Body
On civilized countries, and terrorists funerals:
http://www.parapundit.com/archives/000507.html
Before that, the method was also used numberless times in Palestine by British first, then Izraelis.
Very civilized, indeed.
But AT, the hypocrisy!!
When Russia has separatist insurgents they must be exterminated, but when Georgia has separatist insurgents (who commit ethnic cleansing BTW), Georgia must grant them everything their evil little hearts desire.
Why the difference?
Oh thats right, you are a racist little Russian pig.
The difference is you didn’t recognize Kosovo yet. What’s the matter? Do you think all your friends are wrong?
Indeed we do.
Oh my, then we must be living in a world full of hypocrites? And, Andrew, your native country (NZ, right?) has hypocrites in the power?
Do you do anything to make your government at home reverse the recognition of Kosovo?
Andrew, Georgia “must” nothing — I beg you to quote one single line from any of my posts, which suggests anything different. Georgia’s desire to keep its regions is fully understandable. Georgia, of course, should pursue its interests. On the other hand, no one can prevent any other party involved in this matter from pursuing their interests, including the de-facto independent states of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The same applies to Russia and its problem regions.
Bobby – your own government makes a very good job in sending Poles in emigration en masse.
From “Peter the Great – His Life and World,” by Robert K. Massie, page 835
Peter’s respect and gratitude to Catherine had been deepened by her participation in the military campaigns on the Pruth and in Persia. He had acknowledged these feelings publicly by their remarriage and by establishing the Order of St. Catherine in her honor. She already carried the courtesy title of empress as the wife of the Emperor, but now, as he faced the future without a son, he decided to go further. His first step, taken in February 1722 before he and Catherine departed for the Caucasus, was to issue a general decree concerning the succession. It declared that the ancient, time-honored ruled by which the throne of the grand dukes of Muscovy and later the Russian tsars had been handed down from father to son, or occasionally from elder brother to younger brother, was no longer valid. Henceforth, Peter decreed, every reigning sovereign would have absolute power to designate his or her successor. “Thus,” he concluded, “children or children’s children will not be tempted to fall into the sin of Absalom.” The new decree also required all officials and subjects to swear an oath to accept the Emperor’s choice.
Revolutionary though it was, the February 1722 ukase was only a preliminary step to a still more sensational act: Peter’s declaration that he had decided to formally crown Catherine as empress. A decree of November 15, 1723, declared that whereas
our best beloved Spouse, Consort, and Empress Catherine has been a great support to us, and not only in this, but also in many military operations, putting aside womanly weakness, of her own will she has been present with us and has helped in every way possible … for these labors of our Spouse we have decided that by virtue of the supreme power given us by God, she shall be crowned, which, God willing, is to take place formally in Moscow in the present winter.
Peter was treading on dangerous ground. Catherine was a Lithuanian servant girl who had come to Russia as a captive. Was she now to wear the imperial crown and sit on the throne of the Russian tsars? Although the manifesto proclaiming the coronation did not specifically name Catherine as heir, on the night before the coronation Peter told several senators and a number of important church dignitaries at the house of an English merchant that Catherine was being crowned in order to give her the right to rule the state. He waited for objections; he heard none.
why did you start posting from p.835? what’s wrong with the first 834 pages?
Yes, it would be fun – let’s make the blog a free library!
BTW, you’ve got a fine sense of humour:)
Psalomchik, I am with you. Nobody in her/his right mind pays any attention to the scribbles of Putler’s bydlo. Especially after they exposed themselves through their comments in russian as what they really are: useful idiots with foul mouths. Disgusting….
^^ thnx cutie:)
@Especially after they exposed themselves through their comments in russian as what they really are: useful idiots with foul mouths — that’s mutual: “aaausa” does it in her broken English, while “Andrew” does it in his native English with spelling mistakes…
Bulava Missile Successfully Launched from Dmitry Donskoy Submarine
http://www.interfax.ru/society/news.asp?id=158814
Congratulations!!
After 345 attempts – what a technological giant russia is!!!
More like after, like, 7 failures, right?
That’s so cute. After 6 years of trying, and investing ridiculous amount of money compared to their overall military budget (that could be better spent on things like feeding their soldiers so they don’t go hungry, or giving them some night-vision systems and UAVs so they could pretend to be a modern army, or just fuel for their pilots), they finally managed to launch a missile (allegedly).
GREAT SUCCESS.
Cute or not, they have a missile now..
Well, allegedly.
But it still has a horrific failure rate even if the launch was successful.
Well, Andrew, there’s not much for you to do besides alleging and being horrified then.
Thanks goodness Georgian engineers don’t do such horrific things – actually no things at all:)
Actually there’s no Georgian engineers at all…
“They have a missile now…” (they say). What a thrilling development, a cliffhanger even! What will happen next? The conscripts to be no longer forced to prostitute themselves in the streets of St. Pete by their pimp officers? Nearly half of the recruits to no longer avoid every draft in order to not serve as slave labour for hire, building dachas? Combat pilots getting some fuel to fly sometimes? Russians actually successfuly using these missiles in WWIII and ending the world as we know it?
The money spent on the missile is money well spent. If it had been spent on food for the conscripts, there would have been the same number of hungry conscripts… plus more dachas for them to build. One should note, however, that, for the first time in decades Russia has a (Putin-installed by the way) defense minister who is trying to do something about corruption in the army.
Psalomchik, I too am with you.
Furthermore, I treat all these Putin ‘arse lickers’ with the contempt they so richly deserve. Let them rave on, they only show how simple minded and brain damaged they really are.
Well put, Bohdan! Since I fit the description “brain damaged Putin arse-licker” perfectly, I should be infinitely grateful if anyone in the masterful team could kindly tell to me whose arse I should consider licking to seem appreciably less brain-damaged at least.
Love you all!
May Psalo be your banner, kids:)))