World politics: Educate my sorry ass!...please.

[Spec]

I dont follow world politics...in fact, I know very little about it. I was reading the Happy Putin thread and I am a bit mixed up.

So Russia is a half-democracy? Well, a rigged democracy?

Also, whats the difference between Russia and U.S.S.R.?

Thank you.

Spec.

[Wezil]

USSR was sometimes scary.

Russia is usually just plain sad.

That's about it.

[lord of the mark]

Re: World politics: Educate my sorry ass!...please.

Originally posted by Spec
I dont follow world politics...in fact, I know very little about it. I was reading the Happy Putin thread and I am a bit mixed up.

So Russia is a half-democracy? Well, a rigged democracy?

Also, whats the difference between Russia and U.S.S.R.?

Thank you.

Spec.

1. Russia is a democracy with certain authoritarian leading tendencies. Given the absence of international monitors its hard to tell how much fraud there was in the last election, though as some have pointed out, some of the things specifically cited by the opposition and mentioned in the western press are fairly trivial, as these things go. Most of the alleged authoritarian changes to election laws are defensible on their own, and only start to look bad when you look at the whole pattern. Probably most troubling is the violence against outspoken members of the print press. Definitely a matter of concern, given Russia's rebounding power and influence, but calling them "dictatorship" only serves to justify those there who claim we're ignorant about them.

2. The Russian Empire, as of 1914, included the homeland of the Great Russians, whose language was that of the state, and who were effectively the people of state, the White Russians and Little Russian (IE Ukrainians) who are sometimes claimed to be Russians, and who sometimes claim a distinct nationality, as well as numerous completely non-Russian ethnic groups. WHen the commies took over, they designated the Ukrainians and Belarussians and several of the non-Russian groups for nominal sovereignty as Soviet Socialist Republics, under the effective control of the USSR. The Great Russian homeland, and most of the smalller nationalities, became the "Russian Federated Soviet Socialist Republic" or something like that. When the USSR collapsed in 1991, the Russian Federation became independendent as did the other SSRs. Russia today is therefore smaller than Russia under the last Tsars.

[LordShiva]

Serb

[Heraclitus]

Re: World politics: Educate my sorry ass!...please.

Originally posted by Spec
I dont follow world politics...in fact, I know very little about it. I was reading the Happy Putin thread and I am a bit mixed up.

So Russia is a half-democracy? Well, a rigged democracy?

Also, whats the difference between Russia and U.S.S.R.?

Thank you.

Spec.

You have heard of the fall of the Berlin wall?

Anyhow several central asian nations became independent as well, besides the Belorussia’s, Ukrainians and the Baltic states. So lotm is right Russia is much smaller than the USSR was and smaller than it was under the Czars. Russia is also much less influential than it was. There are lots of Chinese illegal immigrants living in Siberia, that could cause problems in the future. They have a war going on in Chechnya with folks who want independence. The economy has improved in the past few years because of oil exports.

[Heraclitus]

Serb in 4, 3, 2, 1...

[Wiglaf]

Re: World politics: Educate my sorry ass!...please.

Originally posted by Spec
I dont follow world politics...in fact, I know very little about it. I was reading the Happy Putin thread and I am a bit mixed up.

So Russia is a half-democracy? Well, a rigged democracy?

Also, whats the difference between Russia and U.S.S.R.?

Thank you.

Spec.

The less you know the better. There is simply nothing useful to know about the history of the crap hole that is the Soviet Union, and if I ever have children I am thinking of sending them to Amish schools where they do not teach about communism or evolution.

[Spec]

Re: Re: World politics: Educate my sorry ass!...please.

Originally posted by Wiglaf


The less you know the better. There is simply nothing useful to know about the history of the crap hole that is the Soviet Union, and if I ever have children I am thinking of sending them to Amish schools where they do not teach about communism or evolution.

You're thinking of breeding?

Spec.

[Heraclitus]

Re: Re: World politics: Educate my sorry ass!...please.

Originally posted by Wiglaf


The less you know the better. There is simply nothing useful to know about the history of the crap hole that is the Soviet Union, and if I ever have children I am thinking of sending them to Amish schools where they do not teach about communism or evolution.

I am so puting the last part in my signature.

[Serb]

Re: Re: World politics: Educate my sorry ass!...please.

Originally posted by lord of the mark


1. Russia is a democracy...

True.

... with certain authoritarian leading tendencies.

BS.

Given the absence of international monitors its hard to tell how much fraud there was in the last election,...

There were over three hundred foreign observers in the last election. Much more then you had in your last presidential election (for the first time in your history), 'cause prior to 2004 you had no international monitors at all. So "given the absence of international monitors its hard to tell how much fraud there was" in the US presidential election of 2000 (and downwards)", right?.

Most of the alleged authoritarian changes to election laws are defensible on their own, and only start to look bad when you look at the whole pattern.

BS.

The changes look like logical steps to establish a normal party system.

Probably most troubling is the violence against outspoken members of the print press.

Such as?

Definitely a matter of concern,

BS.

given Russia's rebounding power and influence, but calling them "dictatorship" only serves to justify those there who claim we're ignorant about them.

True.

2. The Russian Empire, as of 1914, included the homeland of the Great Russians, whose language was that of the state, and who were effectively the people of state, the White Russians and Little Russian (IE Ukrainians) who are sometimes claimed to be Russians, and who sometimes claim a distinct nationality, as well as numerous completely non-Russian ethnic groups.

1) Byelorussians (White Russians), Ukranians (the "Borderners"/the people who live at frontier) and Russians were the same nationality a thousand years ago at dawn of our existence as nation (Kiev Rus). Later we've been separated and reunited only in 1654.

2) Both Byelorussians and Ukranians populate so-called Malorossiya (Small Russia) area, so refering as Small Russians (Malorossy) is more correct than Little Russians.

WHen the commies took over, they designated the Ukrainians and Belarussians and several of the non-Russian groups for nominal sovereignty as Soviet Socialist Republics, under the effective control of the USSR. The Great Russian homeland, and most of the smalller nationalities, became the "Russian Federated Soviet Socialist Republic" or something like that.

1) There were 15 national republics (SSR).
2) The Russian Soviet Federative Socialistic Republic or R.S.F.S.R.

When the USSR collapsed in 1991, the Russian Federation became independendent as did the other SSRs. Russia today is therefore smaller than Russia under the last Tsars.

True, but it's still the largest country of the World (1/7 of earth's land mass).

[Kuciwalker]

Re: Re: World politics: Educate my sorry ass!...please.

Originally posted by Wiglaf
The less you know the better. There is simply nothing useful to know about the history of the crap hole that is the Soviet Union, and if I ever have children I am thinking of sending them to Amish schools where they do not teach about communism or evolution.

[Serb]

Re: Re: World politics: Educate my sorry ass!...please.

Originally posted by Heraclitus
They have a war going on in Chechnya with folks who want independence.

The war goes on only in your lying western propaganda machine.

Pics of the modern Grozny:

http://hitch-hiker.livejournal.com/69726.html

A warzone, no?

The economy has improved in the past few years because of oil exports.

Another myth. Only 1/3 of our last year GDP growth provided by gas&oil industry (which is not surprising considering such oil&gas prices). The rest 2/3 is construction, machinebuilding, agriculture, services and other industries.

[LordShiva]

Re: Re: Re: World politics: Educate my sorry ass!...please.

Originally posted by Serb
Pics of the modern Grozny:

http://hitch-hiker.livejournal.com/69726.html

[Serb]

Re: Re: World politics: Educate my sorry ass!...please.

Originally posted by Wiglaf


The less you know the better. There is simply nothing useful to know about the history of the crap hole that is the Soviet Union, and if I ever have children I am thinking of sending them to Amish schools where they do not teach about communism or evolution.

Are you sure you from the Washington D.C. not from Texas?
What I am talking about? You Yankees are all the same - arrogant bastards. I have not talked with you, well, since 2001, 2002?
I don't regret it at all, because you sir is a total as$hole.


Have a nice day

[Heraclitus]

Re: Re: Re: World politics: Educate my sorry ass!...please.

Originally posted by Serb

True, but it's still the largest country of the World (1/7 of earth's land mass).

I think it is more or less common knowledge that Russia is the largest country in the world, there is no need to point that out.

For clarity's sake, it might be wise to point out to Spec, that Russia is still a superpower, currently I'd put them ever so slightly below the Chinese (the gap is widening though), and well above Japan, India or individual European countries like France or the UK. Long term trends will depend on their economy, their demographics and their stability (considering the diverse ethnicities and large Muslim population). Its perfectly possible they will grow in power or they may be diminished, but I doubt they would ever fall below major power status. Democracy in Russia may be ok in a decade or two or it may not, it really depends on the next 5 years.

Russia is a target of a lot of western media bashing, but even Serb has to admit that there are some major flaws in their democratic process, before he viciously flames me, let me say that American democracy has some large flaws as well, and that despite high European standards, the EU's democratic deficit on the level of the union is quite large.