"Russia will soon be a one party state"

[Dinner]

Originally posted by onodera

That's why the Brits are worse than the Americans. The latter only tried to take Murmansk and Vladivostok from us, while the former constantly meddled in our sphere of influence. I should write a post in the history forum about that.

If you are referring to the post WW1 intervention the US didn't try to take anything. The Tsarist government bought large quantities of munitions from the US on credit and the US took over those two port cities because that was where most of the recoverable government property was. The US stated it would return control of the cities to the legitimate government of Russia but unfortunately the Tsar got shot so the US eventually just abandoned them.

[BeBMan]

Originally posted by onodera

That's why the Brits are worse than the Americans. The latter only tried to take Murmansk and Vladivostok from us, while the former constantly meddled in our sphere of influence. I should write a post in the history forum about that.

Still pissed about 1856?

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Cort Haus

Not sure of the point being made by reference to that article.

The point I am making (and perhaps Vagabond) is that the west were more than happy for Yeltsin to behave undemocratically because he was their man.

from that article, I see no evidence of electoral fraud or the like or even the kind of control over the media Putin has done. Yeltsin raised a lot of money, and spent it, and said nasty things about his opponents. So what?

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Cort Haus

Not sure of the [/q]

Going into that election Yeltsin had a measly 8% popularity rating. His western allies intervened on his behalf in an election that was at least as undemocratic as the present one that the west is expressing its disatisfaction with.

None of the items you mention is undemocratic, and Yeltsin was running against a Communist Party that was still heir to the organizational strengths the CP had under the old SU, and which was certainly interested in a return to authoritarianism. I think those steps were justified.

Where would Russia be now if the CP had won that election? Do you think they would have left office peacefully?

[VetLegion]

Yes.

[onodera]

Originally posted by BeBro
Still pissed about 1856?

Damn right I am. I'm also pissed about Churchill's speech that turn the States into our enemy for almost 50 years.

[BeBMan]

You think such a confrontation is caused by one man's speech?

[Dinner]

Originally posted by onodera

Damn right I am. I'm also pissed about Churchill's speech that turn the States into our enemy for almost 50 years.

To be fair Churchill was factually correct in everything he said and Stalin was his own worst enemy with his heavy handedness. Then there is the fact that as a champion of capitalism the US was naturally unsympathetic to communism.

[Serb]

Originally posted by lord of the mark


from that article, I see no evidence of electoral fraud or the like or even the kind of control over the media Putin has done.

You can bullsh!t yourself, you can bullsh!t other foreigners, but dot bullsh!t me.

I remember 1996. I voted in 1996 and you can't even imagine what kind of election campaign it was. It was a total control of the media TOTAL, ABSOLUTE CONTROL over EVERYTHING. It was a zombification : "vote for Eltsin or you'll lose, vote for Eltsin or you'll lose, vote for Eltsin or you'll lose, vote for Eltsin or you'll lose, etc. The opposition simply had no chance to say a single word. Furthermore, all TV channels, papers, radi stations etc, constantly bombarded the opposition with BS charges.

the presidential elections of 1996 was the most unfair, dirty and undemocratic campaign ever.

Putin's control over media is non-existent and is really nothing in comarison to what had happened in 1996.

Putin won because the people of Russia SUPPORT him, not because we are brainwashed.

Yeltsin raised a lot of money, and spent it, and said nasty things about his opponents. So what?

Saying nasty things about your opponents is against the law. He not just said a couple of nasty things about his opponents, it was a waterfall of sh!t, bullsh!t and lie.

It was a Niagara of guano. Every day. Every hour. Every minute. EVERYWHERE.

Once again, you can't even imagine what kind of campaign it was. He had a 2% popularity rating at the beggining and still won. You think it's possible to accomplish in fair way? No f*cking way. I participated in all elections since 1996 (as voter, of course) and have to say that parliament elections of 2007 was the most fair and democratic elections in modern Russian history.
And hell yeah, I am an expert in all things Russian.

The end of story.

[Dinner]

Cite from meaningful independent academic source or auto lose based on failure to support wild claim.

[Serb]

What wild claim?

It's my own experience. I was 19 in 1996 and remember that crap very well.

[Serb]

Btw, about meaningful independent academic sources you like to refer - you initial article is proven to be a BS (just like I said).

Russia is not a one state party.

Results (98% of the vote had been counted)

United Russia - 64.1%,
Communist Party of the Russian Federation - 11.6%,
Liberal Democratic Party - 8.2%
A Just Russia 7.8%.

Election turnout has been estimated at 63%.

Four parties overcome the 7% barrier to take seats in the fifth State Duma.

64.1 + 11.6 + 8.2 + 7.8 = 91.7%


The parties that overcame the 7% barrier and will take seats in the new parliamen REPRESENT 91.7% of the voters.

The rest 7 parties that didn't make it to parliament represent only 8.3% of the voters (in 2003 29.7% of the voters were not represented in the parliament DESPITE the LOWER barrier).

All your western lackeys (The Union of Right Forces (1.0%) + Yabloko (1.6%) + Civil Force (1.1%) + Democratic Party of Russia (0.1%) alltogether have 3.8%.

THEY WOULD NOT OVERCAME EVEN A 5% BARRIER EVEN IF ALLEID.

Wake up Neos, and welcome to the real world. This is reality.

And this is my meaningful independent academic source:

http://www.cikrf.ru/eng/elect_duma/results/index.jsp

[Serb]

Originally posted by Oerdin
Observers criticize vote as unfair after United Russia dominates opposition

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22061094/

The only party not part of the cult of Putin to get seats was the communist party. It is interesting that even the communist party is saying the voting was unfair and says it will challenge the results in court.

And surelly it's really nothing that they have more seats NOW than in the last parliament, THANKS to the election reform. Isn't in funny that now, when we have a proportional representation in our parliament (like in many other democracies) the opposition has more seats, then they had in the last parliament, when half of the Duma was elected in single-mandate constituencies under a first-past-the-post system (and most of the winners represented The United Russia)?
Had we have the same election system NOW, The United Russia would have MUCH MORE seats in the new parliament. And it is fact - the reform was not in the interest of the United Russia. So blaming Puting for that reform is nothing more but incompetence and total misunderstanding of the political processes in Russia.

[onodera]

Originally posted by Serb
Election turnout has been estimated at 63%.

64.1 + 11.6 + 8.2 + 7.8 = 91.7%

The parties that overcame the 7% barrier and will take seats in the new parliamen REPRESENT 91.7% of the voters.

Actually, they represent 57.7% of the voters.

[Dinner]

Originally posted by Serb
Russia is not a one state party.

Results (98% of the vote had been counted)

United Russia - 64.1%,
Communist Party of the Russian Federation - 11.6%,
Liberal Democratic Party - 8.2%
A Just Russia 7.8%.

LDP and A Just Russia are noteworthy only in so far as they rush to be more pro Putin then Putin's own party. They are simply extensions of United Russia under a different name. It is a difference without distinction. Their sole reason for existence is to claim they suck more of Putin's **** then United Russia does.

The only party Putin doesn't control in the Parliament is the Communists. Since Putin controls ~90% of the seats I'd say it is very fair to say Russia is a one party state.