FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 16 CONTENTS
(1) EDITORIAL: Vladimir Putin, on the Take
(2) EDITORIAL: Why now, Mr. Medvedev?
(3) EDITORIAL: Russian Atrocities in Syria
(4) What’s Wrong with the Russians?
(5) The Kremlin’s Eye turns towards Piter
(6) CARTOON: The Kremlin Walls
(7) Ukraine whips Russian Butt at Miss Universe
NOTE: Why do Russians ignore the fate of their own 9/11 victims? Is it because they are cold barbarians, or is it because their government is hiding something, like the fact that it killed them, not terrorists?
NOTE: Nobody pretends to be a wild pig like a Russian pretends to be a wild pig. Nobody.
NOTE: Ouch! Ouch! More Russian sports glory . . . not.
NOTE: Russia Sucks! In a variety of fashionable colors!
NOTE: Americans in school in Moscow. See it now.
La Russophobe 
“Russia’s 9/11” was the massive bombing of Grozny (actually – many more victims and much more devastation than inflicted on 9/11). The small bombings in Moscow and elsewhere were of course connected, as they were ordered by the very same people who then destroyed the city of Grozny. And they were terrorists, because their aim was to terrorise the population, which got gripped by hysteria enabling them to take and then keep the power (and loot).
They (the Chekists) did even worse things in the Soviet times anyway, and are directly responsible for deaths of millions of people in Russia – shot, starved and worked to death.
No Justice for Anna Politkovskaya
Unfortunately, this is the norm in Russia where 52 journalists have been killed since 1992, with 18 of those cases still unsolved. Numerous other journalists have been beaten, harassed, threatened or jailed after uncovering crimes by business, government or military leaders.
Ms. Politkovskaya was known for her tough reporting on human rights abuses in Chechnya. Her last article, published after her death, described how troops loyal to a Kremlin-backed leader in Chechnya tortured civilians. Novaya Gazeta, the rare independent Russian newspaper where she worked, is still fearlessly reporting.
At the time of her murder, Vladimir Putin, who is now the prime minister but was the president then, dismissed her journalism as “insignificant” and said that nobody “currently in office” could possibly have organized a crime that, he said, was committed “to create a wave of anti-Russian feeling.” To many Russians, that sounded like orders from the top that police or judges or prosecutors should take care not to accuse anyone in power.
Five years later, the failure to find her killers is a shameful reminder of the weakness of Russia’s democracy and the corruption of its political system. No one will forget.
“In a separate incident Sunday, a hunter in the Chelyabinsk region shot himself dead when finishing off a wounded raccoon with the butt of his rifle (…) No information was available on the fate of the raccoon.”
The best karma episode of Russian hunting was when the VIP helicopter crashing while “the government” criminals in question were poaching endangered animals, killing some of “Russian elite” bastards on a joyous occasion:
http://www.sptimes.ru/index.php?story_id=28107&action_id=2
Very interesting film on the three kids in a Russian school.
You can tell the young boy does not want to leave; in fact all three of the kids have fallen in love with Russia and the Russian culture – because it is one of the best in the world!!!
Culture, sure. But not education though. In education Russia, with poorly paid teachers and censored textbooks, is a backwards, third-world state. These kids may be in school for education, not culture. Just a possibility.
And as to culture, of course, the world hasn’t yet caught on to the big secret. Russia lags in tourism, most people have no intention of going to Russia for any reason. Of course, part of that may have to do with the fact that it’s part of Russia “culture” to hate foreigners and murder those of the “wrong” race on sight.
dude every culture is unique, statements that one particular culture (Russian or some other) is the best in the world make no sense whatsoever, because they imply that there are other cultures that are somehow inferior.
Russian culture as whole has its pros and cons, among the cons are the subservience and servility that Konchalovsky talks about in his article published here.
I think that on a personal level the best course of action is to be a cosmopolitan and take the best from every culture out there
Culture is not just about the Hermitage Museum or Bolshoi Theater. To say nothing that many other countries have institutions like that too.
Culture is also about work ethics, hospitality, cleanliness, sobriety, sanitation, charity, willingness to help others, and tolerance among many other things. Those kids are too little see more, but they will find out, particularly since they look Jewish to me.
Former Soviet republics: Winners and losers
Twenty years ago the Soviet Union broke up and its 15 republics gained independence. After the initial shock of transforming from communist to market economies, most started to recover only to face further financial crises or armed conflict – or both. Here you can compare countries over two decades using indicators of national wealth, health and democracy starting with the wealthiest, Estonia, and poorest, Tajikistan.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-14489883
Russia’s economic power lies in its natural resources – namely oil and gas. These allowed it to emerge stronger than ever after two crippling economic events – the immediate post-Soviet transition period and the 1998 financial crisis that saw the ruble devalued, a default on domestic debt and a moratorium on payment to foreign creditors.
While overall wealth has grown over the last two decades the gap between rich and poor is widening. The bottom 40% are being paid less in real terms than they were in 1991, while only the top 20% have seen their incomes more than double.
(“Winners and losers” indeed.)
Natalya Estemirova’s Relatives Lodged a Complaint to ECtHR against Ineffective Investigation
http://www.memo.ru/eng/news/2011/09/16/1609112.html
Earlier HRC “Memorial”, “Novaya Gazeta”, and International Federation for Human Rights presented a report “Two Years after Natalya Estemirova’s Murder: Investigation in the Wrong Direction” (http://www.memo.ru/2011/07/14/1407111.html – in Russian) in which they criticized the official version – about the involvement of boeviks in the murder.
What can you expect from Putin’s handiwork. He has to cover his murdering goons and they in turn cover each other and their bloodied hands, otherwise these heinous deeds will ultimately uncover his involvement in these black deeds.
So his henchmen will point you in any direction but the right one to protect the guilty.
Simple as that, especially in the dictatorship that is current neo soviet Russia.
Bohdan,
Behind the scenes at the death squads of Chechnya
Svetlana Reiter and Igor Kalyapin, 8 September 2011
http://www.opendemocracy.net/od-russia/svetlana-reiter-igor-kalyapin/behind-scenes-at-death-squads-of-chechnya
Formal hostilities may have ceased in Chechnya, but civilians continue to be abducted, tortured and murdered by the authorities in the region. Igor Kalyapin, head of the Committee Against Torture, talks to Svetlana Reiter about the remarkable and dangerous work being done to seek justice for the victims.
Robert,
Thank you for that link! a very interesting article at showing up the criminal and murderous nature of the regime in Chechnya under its blood stained dictator, who enjoys the total financial and moral support of the other dictator V. Putin.
Kavkazsky Uzel reported September 14 that at least 1,007 people have been the victims of the armed conflict in the North Caucasus so far this year, with 593 people killed and 414 wounded since the start of 2011. The greatest number of casualties has been in Dagestan, where 315 people have been killed and 224 wounded since the start of the year (a total of 539 casualties), while Chechnya came in second, with 81 killed and 103 wounded (a total of 184 casualties). Kabardino-Balkaria came in third, with 98 killed and 39 wounded (a total of 137 casualties), followed by Ingushetia, where 65 have been killed and 32 wounded this year (a total of 97 casualties) (www.kavkaz-uzel.ru, September 14).
(The tally is of course vastly incomplete.)
Yes very objective site you just now delete objective criticism of DjekVosmerkin and left cosmick flaring comment.It is very democratic.Is this what you stand for.
We have comment publication rules. Ignore them and your comment is deleted. Simple as that.
Meanwhile, if you think Djek is “objective” you are smoking waaaaay to much crack. The word “objective” doesn’t mean “cosmick agrees with it” it means even-handed. His comment was TOTALLY one-sided against us, you flaring illiterate idiot. And it was full of personal abuse of fellow commenters, therefore violatd our posted comment rules, therefore deleted.
Don’t like it? The world’s smallest violin is playing just for you!
What kind personal abuse.You are who abusing cosmick writhe now insulting him.,,His comment was TOTALLY one-sided against us,, like you are represent two sides please you same as kgb that did same thing.This journalist TOTALLY against us lets shoot her or him in yours case lets delete his post.Personal abuse by saying that they who post all the time.With hate to Russia.Good lock in yours crusade you will needed.
Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.So democratic!You just show what you all about.
You think in democracy there is no crime and no prison? You think in democracy anyone can do anything? That is not democracy it is anarchy. You are an ignorant slob. Have another drink and go back to sleep.
Nuclear russian submarine collided with a fishing boat off the pacific ocean – the saga of russia’s humiliation continues…. – are the russians doing it on purpose???????????????????