"Russia will soon be a one party state"

[Theben]

Economic, not military, imperialism.

And those missiles can be tuned up.

[Lancer]

Originally posted by Theben
Economic, not military, imperialism.

And those missiles can be tuned up.

Economic imperialism? How shocking, a democracy would never do such a thing!

Missiles can be tuned up, and they might work. Kind of like one of those Russian cars, but you wouldn't want to take your best girl out in one. Well, depends on the girl I suppose.

I would think twice about launching one of those missiles if I were Putin, tuned up or not.

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by The Vagabond
Its the state's business how its political system is organized. Israel has its own special features, and Russia its own. Russia's own experience with pre-electoral coalitions is negative (at least on the federal level).

You speak as if the people are somehow subservient to the state in the big scheme of things. The people are the state, even with a dictator. They just might not have much say.

What you are saying is that it is acceptable in Russia for bureaucrats and politicians in power to decide what the people may choose from. That is in no way democratic when taken to the extremes that Putin is taking them. That is the way of a dictatorship.

Napoleon held plebiscites where his imperial rule was ratified by the voters. The Party won any election ever held, because no one else was allowed to run, or they were dead.

What's scary is that you seem to be a reasonable and well educated Russian. That you find this acceptable is alarming. The silver lining is that you are not entirely happy about it. The alarming part is that you have bought why it must be so.

Democracy isn't a pretty thing. It can be down-right ugly. What you've bought into is a caricature of democracy made safe and tidy for you by people who would not like you to make a real democratic choice.

[onodera]

Originally posted by notyoueither
What's scary is that you seem to be a reasonable and well educated Russian. That you find this acceptable is alarming. The silver lining is that you are not entirely happy about it. The alarming part is that you have bought why it must be so.

Well, for some past years it was hip among educated Russians to be pro-Putin, like it was hip in the 80's to be pro-American. Well, not like that, but hip nonetheless. I have a feeling this is going to change.

[notyoueither]

Bureaucrats should not be deciding the future of political systems based on being not hip,

[notyoueither]

Aside from which, what Putin and his cronies seem to have done is ban most everyone, and I suspect they caught a lot of less than hip parties in the net.

What part of the joke that that electoral system has become do you not get?

Napoleon would be proud.

[Serb]

Re: "Russia will soon be a one party state"

Originally posted by Oerdin
It seems Democracy in Russia will die a quiet gasping breath.

Yeah, right In your dreams.

Putin has rigged everything

Lie.

and it looks like not a single other party will make it into the Parliament;

Impossible.

except possibly the Communist Party who might hold a seat or two.

A party that overcame 7% barrier cannot get "a seat or two".

Opposition party members say there is no independent media in Russia were they can get their message out,

Lie.

finance laws have been changed so that the Kremlin controls everything and there is no independent financing,

What independent financing? from Washington D.C.?
Is it ok according to American laws for Kremlin to finance a political party in US Congress?

no access to independent courts,

Lie.

opposition candidates have been arrested,

For what?

election monitors from the OSCE have been expelled from the country,

SUPER LIE.

and many are claiming elections have been rigged to insure Putin's party will be the only party.

Lie.

Russia's democracy is dying and we will all be poorer for it.

Lie.

In short your article is nothing more than another hysterical fart of stinking brainwashing machine of the West. It's just another pizdezh i provokaciya.

Have a nice day.

[onodera]

Thank you, Serb, for the list of factual errors.

See? Serb still thinks Putin is hip.

[C0ckney]

SUPER LIE.

oh look here's serb, right on time to provide a well thought out, detailed and thorough rebuttal of the points raised thus far.

sir, you truly grace us with your presence.

[Darius871]

Re: Re: "Russia will soon be a one party state"

Originally posted by Serb
Lie.

Lie.

Lie.

Lie.

Lie.

Great, now I've got that Simon and Garfunkel song stuck in my head!

[GePap]

And yet the mayority of Russians would vote to re-elect Putin if they could.

Why are Liberals around the world so utterly incapable of talking in a way that addresses the fears and desires of the masses?

All one hears is preachyness about "values", but your average individual voters cares more about "Do I have a job, can I feed my family, can I be left alone in peace?" than they do the value of a multi-party democracy. That is why demagoges and autocrats with money win democratically all the time, and will continue to in countries were the Liberals are good enough to preach about values but never seemingly good enough to get the benefits through to those who might form some sort of effective middle class.

[Dinner]

Serb is such a funny guy.

[LordShiva]

Serb

[Lancer]

Serb is Serb.

[Wezil]

Serb

Best post today.