Russia General

[negah 26]

Shame that I can't drive my motorcycle in winter ( f*** snow ). But I'd do a very long trip with that prices...

That reminds me I havent seen snow for a couple of years now over here in Bavaria.

Id rather have some snow and not constant rain at 0°C.

[beastcat 14]

Since the Putin-Hitler comparisons are so popular, heres a nice infographic kind of thing:

(Click for slightly higher res image)

[Heeeere's johnny! 51]

Oh yeah, there it is - the Hitler-Putin-comparison. I was almost wondering, when somebody would actually bring it up ... again.

"Not elected to power, but promoted to power"

Where is the basis for this statement?

Edited December 13, 2014 by Heeeere's Johnny!

[Tonci87 163]

Oh yeah' date=' there it is - the Hitler-Putin-comparison. I was almost wondering, when somebody would actually bring it up ... again.

"Not elected to power, but promoted to power"

Where is the basis for this statement?[/quote']

I was about to ask the same.

One common point is missing on that list though: "Gleichschaltung der Presse" Absolute state control over all media.

[beastcat 14]

Oh yeah' date=' there it is - the Hitler-Putin-comparison. I was almost wondering, when somebody would actually bring it up ... again.

"Not elected to power, but promoted to power"

Where is the basis for this statement?[/quote']

They probably mean that he was appointed as prime minister by Yeltsin, and when Yeltsin resigned a few months later Putin automatically became president. After that it was clear he would win the "elections" half a year of his presidency later.

[Heeeere's johnny! 51]

They probably mean that he was appointed as prime minister by Yeltsin, and when Yeltsin resigned a few months later Putin automatically became president. After that it was clear he would win the "elections" half a year of his presidency later.

George Walker Bush:

2000 - Selected person of the year by TIME magazine

2001 - Not elected to power but promoted to power

2001 - Utilized 9/11 attacks to promote and boost his image

2001 - Intervention in Afghanistan under the pretext of the Taliban allegedly being responsible for the 9/11 attacks

2003 - Intervention in Iraq under the pretext of Iraq allegedly having weapons of mass destruction

So what has been proven now? Putin is not better or worse than other presidents. And regarding "elections": Other than the US president, he's actually elected by the people. If you call the US presidential election a farce just as you do with the russian elections, I won't debate your standpoint.

Putin is a former secret service officer, so he knows what's going on in the background when politics are playing in the foreground, which you can't say about many other state's leaders. Surely, Putin is way more radical in his actions than the world expects him to be. But as president of the only country which actually has the power to stand up to the US, there is no other way to act if you don't want to take any more shit from the US/NATO. And let's not pretend that Russians are the only ones who act first and talk later, if at all.

[mistyronin 1181]

Oh my Godness, I'm probably one of the most fervorous detractors of George W. Bush, but compare his actions with Putin is simply a joke.

First we have something exceptional the 9/11. Nothing even similar has happened in Russia.

Bush didn't try to trick the system to rule for ever like Putin is doing, with his puppet Medevev.

Both interventions in Iraq and A-Stan were done in a large coalition, with the approval of the UN ( including Russia ).

No one in the Coalition annexed any territory, nor anything similar.

Besides the crude truth, Bush was an idiot ( literally ) that almost killed himself accidentaly while eating a cookie.

While Putin has acted alone for his own sake, has annexed territories, caring none about any international conventions, doing everything in his hand to keep the power, creating an authocratic regime, prohibiting and prosecuting all opposition, basically copying Hitler's playbook in the years previous WW2.

You could even say that Putin and Bush are the opposite, are antonyms, while Putin and Hitler '38-39 are synonyms.

Edited December 14, 2014 by MistyRonin

[Heeeere's johnny! 51]

Both interventions in Iraq and A-Stan were done in a large coalition, with the approval of the UN ( including Russia ).

Wrong. Neither war was approved by the UN. Especially not the Iraq war due to France's veto. The Iraq war was done in a "coalation of the willing" - hence illegal in terms of international law.

Read this if interested in the legality/illegality of the Afghanistan war:

http://www.e-ir.info/2013/11/06/was-the-nato-invasion-of-afghanistan-legal/

While Putin has acted alone for his own sake, has annexed territories, caring none about any international conventions, doing everything in his hand to keep the power, creating an authocratic regime, prohibiting and prosecuting all opposition, basically copying Hitler's playbook in the years previous WW2.

You could even say that Putin and Bush are the opposite, are antonyms, while Putin and Hitler '38-39 are synonyms.

I can't consider a war kawk "Bush" to be the opposite of Putin as you describe him. But if the US are not a proper example, how about Israel?

Israel annexed hell of a lot territory since its proclamation in 1948.

Israel doesn't give a shit about the 900+ UN conventions issued against it and which it violated.

And regarding "copying Hitler's playbook": In how far are the actions done by israelian settlers and soldiers in the West Bank different from the persecution of the Jews in Nazi-Germany?

Upon which facts do you build you statement that Putin acted alone? The political system in Russia is not any different from that in most western countries. What is your basis to state that in Russia, Putin is the only powerful person and in other western countries, it's different?

I do not want to downplay the obvious problems existing in Russia. I agree that Putin does whatever he can to stay in charge as long as possible. I also agree that many "unpleasent" people died for political reasons. But creating an image about Putin as the "Führer 2.0" is pure polemic and based upon barely more than twitter graphics and mass media images. We yell about "russian propaganda TV" ignoring that not all russian TV is "state TV" and also ignoring that our (western) media does the same thing.

Edited December 14, 2014 by Heeeere's Johnny!

[maturin 12]

We yell about "russian propaganda TV" ignoring that not all russian TV is "state TV" and also ignoring that our (western) media does the same thing.

There is no TV left in Russia that doesn't toe the Kremlin line pretty much exclusively. Actually, they just shut down the last two outlets that had any independent editorial direction.

U.S. and Western media is pretty bad, but to compare them with Russia's lie factory is absurd.

Both interventions in Iraq and A-Stan were done in a large coalition, with the approval of the UN ( including Russia ).

No one in the Coalition annexed any territory, nor anything similar.

Okay, so Iraq and Afghanistan were more acceptable from the point of view of international law. But they cost far more innocent lies and did more damage than anything Putin has done, with the exception of the second war in Chechnya. As bad as the conflict in Donbass is, it's still a paradise compared to the hell Iraq is now, all thanks to the invasion.

And while Russia never had any single 9/11-like event, there were many terrorist attacks, including a few with victims in the hundreds.

[eddo36 16]

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/sep/04/cnn-business-state-sponsored-news

US media is also controlled by the government, as you can clearly see by this CNN example. Stop the double standards.

[Heeeere's johnny! 51]

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/sep/04/cnn-business-state-sponsored-news

US media is also controlled by the government, as you can clearly see by this CNN example. Stop the double standards.

And for those too lazy to read (just as I am), watch a documentary called "

". It tells you how "independent" western media is.

[beastcat 14]

And of course this thread had to be derailed into a US discussion as always...

[mistyronin 1181]

Wrong. Neither war was approved by the UN. Especially not the Iraq war due to France's veto.

The United Nations Security Council Resolution 1386 authorized the creation of ISAF which allowed the sending of military forces to keep security in A-Stan. ( adopted unanimously )

The United Nations Security Council Resolution 1441 implicitly authorized' date=' it was an ultimatum; or Iraq complied or would be forced too. ( adopted unanimously )

But if the US are not a proper example, how about Israel?

Israel doesn't have nothing much to do with the Third Reich but with the colonialism in North America and the genocide of the natives. Where businessman "bought" ( stole ) huge amounts of land from the natives ( most of the times were scams or they bought the land from who wasn't the owner ). Tho you could see some similarities with the Lebensraum concept ( Manifest Destiny in America, which funnily marries with Putin speech after the Crimean annexation ).

Upon which facts do you build you statement that Putin acted alone? The political system in Russia is not any different from that in most western countries.

The Russian political system was in appearance similar to the Western Countries' date=' but since Putin arrived to the presidency he has twisted all the laws he could, and practically nowadays Russia is more an authoritarian state than a democracy.

I didn't say that Putin is a new Hitler, but that he is copying his first steps, in fact I specified Hitler 38-39. Only time will tell if he will go forward or if the World, the Russian oligarchy or Russian citizens will bear him any longer.

US media is also controlled by the government, as you can clearly see by this CNN example. Stop the double standards.

You haven't read much US media right? First 99% of the US media is private, and independent unlike Russia were the mainstream media is funded and controlled by the Kremlin.

In fact in the US a lot of the mainstream media criticize Obamas policies, some of them really harshly.

BTW the CNN is a private media that have the editorial line their managers want ( sometimes it has been pro-US gov sometimes against it, but that's how private media works ).

The US media is so independent that can even make a President fall ( check Nixon with Watergate and Bill Clinton ).

So no, you can't even compare. BTW in Russia with the new anti free speech laws, even the private medias have to be very careful of what they say or they will end in jail or worst. You know the reports of Russian journalists killed or disappeared for criticizing Putin.

Edited December 14, 2014 by MistyRonin

[surpher 1]

(The Local) Confirmed: Military plane was from Russia

Sweden's Minister for Defence has confirmed that a military aircraft that almost collided with a passenger plane on Friday close to Swedish airspace was indeed from Russia.

[beastcat 14]

http://youtu.be/rwTNQ1cvdpg

[Sub-Human 10]

If this trend continues I´ll be doing my Christmas shopping in Russia.

Too late - Russian shops are starting to introduce prices in у.е. (money units, most likely related to euro) - pay in rubles, but according to whatever the exchange rate is on that day. :)

[Tonci87 163]

Now I feel sorry for the Russians. it will be an expensive Christmas for them....

[mistyronin 1181]

Now I feel sorry for the Russians. it will be an expensive Christmas for them....

Most of them have seen their wealth halved in less than a year.

---------- Post added at 12:30 ---------- Previous post was at 12:20 ----------

BTW here's how the Kremlin acts against those who dare to criticize.

( Al Jazeera ) Attackers burn office of Chechen rights group

Members of a human rights groups active in Chechnya say their office has been torched after they criticised the Kremlin-backed Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov for calling for collective punishment against families of Muslim rebels.

"The damage [to the offices] is serious. All the equipment has been smashed. That was caused not by the fire but by vandalism," activist Dmitry Utukin of the Joint Mobile Group told AFP news agency on Sunday.

The attack on the rights group's office in Grozny on Saturday, followed arson attacks reported against eight homes linked to rebels' families in the wake of a surprise raid on the Chechen capital on December 4.

On Sunday, paramilitary police also searched the apartment where two members of the rights group were staying, Utukin said.

"It's not very clear what is happening because their phones have been confiscated," Utukin said. "Our lawyer is going there."

The group's other staff members "are in a safe place", Utukin said.

It is the latest chapter in years of harassment and murder of human rights activists and journalists investigating torture, kidnapping and war crimes in Chechnya, where Russia has been fighting nationalist and armed rebels for 20 years.

---------- Post added at 13:06 ---------- Previous post was at 12:30 ----------

( EU Observer ) Mediapart: Former Russian spy lent €2mn to Le Pen senior

A former KGB officer lent €2 million to Jean-Marie Le Pen, the president of the National Front, on top of other Russian loans to the French far-right party, Mediapart reports.

The Paris-based online news agency said on Saturday (29 November) the money was wired by a Cypriot firm, Vernonsia Holdings, via an account at Swiss bank Julius Baer, to Le Pen’s company, Cotelec, on 18 April.

It says the owner of Vernonsia is Yuri Kudimov, who used to be an officer in the KGB, the Russian intelligence service which was later renamed the FSB, and who was, until October, also the director of VEB Capital, a state-owned Russian bank.

[surpher 1]

(BBC) Provincial Russia feels economic squeeze

"Prices for everything have gone up," Yana tells me. "It's not only products, but expensive things like cars or furniture. We will celebrate the new year just here at home, instead of going to Europe - because the prices for holidays have also risen."

The rouble continues falling, approaching 60 to the $.

Bloomberg RUB/USD

Edited December 15, 2014 by surpher

[Tonci87 163]

Of course Putin will blame the evil west and its sanctions for this (remember, those sanctions he and his ministers laughed and joked about?)

[beastcat 14]

The prophecies were true!

[mistyronin 1181]

Soon Russians are gonna think they were better with Yelsin...

At this time, 1 dollar = 63 rubles.

( Bloomberg ) Ruble Tumbles Most Since 1998 as Traders Pressure Central Bank

The ruble tumbled the most since 1998, sliding past 60 for the first time, as traders tested Russia’s willingness to defend the currency amid an oil slump that’s pushing the economy toward recession.

The ruble’s slump takes the currency’s 2014 depreciation to 48 percent, surpassing Ukraine’s hryvnia for the first time as the world’s worst performing currency.

---------- Post added at 19:59 ---------- Previous post was at 19:25 ----------

Interesting documentary about an admirable woman that tries to fight domestic violence in Russia.

( Al Jazeera ) Struggle of a Russian Samaritan

Olga Suvorova is a traditional Russian woman, wife and mother living with her family in Siberia.

But she is also an activist dedicated to ending a long-standing pattern of indifference facing families, especially women, plagued by domestic violence.

Through her work, Suvorova struggles to overcome the neglectful attitudes of local officials. When she interferes, to try and provoke action or change, she often faces threats and sometimes even violence.

Despite this she continues serving as a lone voice responding to the needs of her community.

Edited December 15, 2014 by MistyRonin

[Tonci87 163]

If the ruble falls to 20 or 10 the Ukraine will be able to buy back Crimea :p (although at that point Putin and his crew will most likely be hanging from some street lamps in Moscow. Russians get extremely pissed if they can´t feed their families.)

[mistyronin 1181]

If the ruble falls to 20 or 10 the Ukraine will be able to buy back Crimea :p (although at that point Putin and his crew will most likely be hanging from some street lamps in Moscow. Russians get extremely pissed if they can´t feed their families.)

Russia still has enormous reserves of different resources for one side. For the other they have been gathering weapons and improving their Armies.

So Putin still has a lot of cards in his hands to play, we'll see what he does ( remember that Hitler in the '39 had a Germany virtually broke and his strategy was too invade and rob as many countries as he could, Putin already played that card in the past ).

Edited December 15, 2014 by MistyRonin

[beastcat 14]

Holy... Looks like the Euro broke 80 rubles. This isn't even funny anymore.