Russia General

[oxmox 73]

Once the Russian intranet is ready you will see more and more russian services emulating western services so that Russians move over to them, just like Vkontakte that is a Russian facebook.

Its questionable of course if they do some kind of cencorship and restrictions, but it is understandable why they want to see own services. The US controls the majority of the Internet.

Who’s the true enemy of internet freedom - China, Russia, or the US?

Russia and China want to be able to access data generated by their citizens on their own soil, whereas the US wants to access data generated by anybody anywhere as long as American companies handle it.

Washington is likely to run into a problem it has already encountered while promoting its nebulous “internet freedom†agenda: its actions speak louder than its words. Rhetorically, it is very hard to oppose government-run digital surveillance and online spin in Russia, China or Iran, when the US government probably does more of it than all of these countries combined.

........ the companies cannot be seen as mere proxies for the American empire. Especially after the Edward Snowden revelations clearly demonstrated the cosy alliances between America’s business and state interests, these companies need to constantly assert their independence – occasionally by taking their own government to court – even if, in reality, most of their interests perfectly align with those of Washington.

However, Russia, China and Brazil are simply responding to the extremely aggressive tactics adopted by none other than the US. In typical fashion, though, America is completely oblivious to its own actions, believing that there is such a thing as a neutral, cosmopolitan internet and that any efforts to move away from it would result in its “Balkanisationâ€. But for many countries, this is not Balkanisation at all, merely de-Americanisation.

Whatever motivates the desire of Russia and China to exert more control over their digital properties – and only the naive would believe that they are not motivated by concerns over domestic unrest – their actions are proportional to the aggressive efforts of Washington to exploit the fact that so much of the world’s communications infrastructure is run by Silicon Valley. One’s man internet freedom is another man’s internet imperialism.

......the concept of technological sovereignty is poised to emerge as one of the most important and contentious doctrines of 2015.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jan/04/internet-freedom-china-russia-us-google-microsoft-digital-sovereignty?commentpage=2

Edited January 19, 2015 by oxmox

[Dwarden 1125]

Russia ends US nuclear security alliance

well, this isn't good (in terms of overall security for everyone including Russia)

http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/nation/2015/01/19/after-two-decades-russia-nuclear-security-cooperation-becomes-casualty-deteriorating-relations/5nh8NbtjitUE8UqVWFIooL/story.html

[Sub-Human 10]

Hm... Putin controls all the media? Seriously? Then why do I read tons of anti-Russian BS from several tens of sources that are established in Russia (I mean social networks, various media outlets) and why there are all the main western media outlets still broadcasting here? Note I use state-owned ISP both for Internet and IP-TV.

All major TV and radio channels in Russia belong to Putin's friend - Yuri Kovalchuk.

Livejournal has been blocked on several occassions (most famously Navalny), Echo of Moscow seems to be more of a PR move. They no doubt post anti-Putin news but during moments of 'crisis' (e.g. 30th December, when Navalny called for a large-scale protest in Moscow, or 2011 protests) they seem to suddenly lean towards the government, by hosting large amounts of state propaganda spokesmen on their front page and creating polls like 'Are you ready to go to jail for Navalny'.

The amount of anti-Putin publications that have been dismantled or blocked compared to those that are still active is worryingly high. It's naive to believe there's no censorship and propaganda behind the Kremlin.

[mistyronin 1181]

Just to add a bit of humor, check this video: :p

http://img-9gag-ftw.9cache.com/photo/aj6eZYQ_460sv.mp4

[Tonci87 163]

No I didn´t make it up, this is really a thing, for just 2500 rubles you can own Putin riding a bear (a very small bear though...)

http://xn-----7kcjjbecbv1ciby9bp.xn--p1ai/

Google translate

Luxurious Figurine as the head of state who tamed forest brown bear standing on a segment of a great country, symbolizes the victory, the heroic strength and power. Bear has long been considered a symbol of immense Russia, represents courage, strength, courage and rage directed against enemies – this beast could not be better reflects the position of the nation and its principles.

In Russia, you is on joke

http://thedailywh.at/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/011915putinbearphotoshop.jpg (223 kB)

[beastcat 14]

Reminds me of this:

"Sanktionka Vodka, strengthen the budget"

Edited January 20, 2015 by beastcat

[spooky lynx 73]

Because they are taking that away piece by piece. There would be a massive outcry if they suddenly blocked everything. Once the Russian intranet is ready you will see more and more russian services emulating western services so that Russians move over to them, just like Vkontakte that is a Russian facebook. Then when the Russians aren´t so dependent on foreign services they will begin to shut down the connection between their intranet and the global internet using some excuse like strenghtening the Russian multimedia industry or smth. The Russian people won´t miss it as much because they already prefer the Russian services.

It´s a slow process, but Putin is planning on staying in power for a long time.

Tonci, I'm monotoring local web for more than a decade, but can't say that the amount of russophobia and anti-Russian rhetorics at various media outlets is taken away piece by piece. Since 2008 it is even bigger.

[ProfTournesol 956]

Tonci, I'm monotoring local web for more than a decade, but can't say that the amount of russophobia and anti-Russian rhetorics at various media outlets is taken away piece by piece. Since 2008 it is even bigger.

Russophobic like Kommersant ?

[spooky lynx 73]

Snob is much more interesting in this case.

[Sub-Human 10]

Russian Politician Tells Public to ‘Eat Less,’ As Food Prices Rise

Hard times call for sacrifices. That was the message of Ilya Gaffner, a legislator in Yekaterinburg, on a recent visit to a local grocery store, where he told TV cameras that Russians should consider going on a diet, when faced with rising food prices.

How can these feckers be in power???

[Tonci87 163]

Russian Politician Tells Public to ‘Eat Less,’ As Food Prices Rise

How can these feckers be in power???

Well at least she didn´t tell them to eat cake.... :j:

Damn this sucks for the Russians...

[surpher 1]

(Bloomberg) Putin's Propaganda Industry Tightens Its Belt

Last year, the state news agency, ITAR-TASS went back to its Soviet brand, simply TASS -- once short for "the Soviet Union's Telegraph Agency", now a standalone acronym like BP -- and adopted the proud slogan "We know." Ramzan Kadyrov, the fiercely pro-Putin leader of Chechnya, went so far as to name a mountain peak in the Caucasus after TASS. But yesterday, the agency, which had just two years ago tempted many private media journalists with salaries only an oil monarchy could pay, announced a 25 percent staff cut and a 20 percent salary cut. Those who refuse to take it are offered five times their monthly salaries to quit immediately.

[Deni3 1]

Это у Ð²Ð°Ñ Ð¿Ñ€Ð¾Ð¿Ð°Ð³Ð°Ð½Ð´Ð°.

Putin is the best!

Edited January 23, 2015 by Deni3

[mistyronin 1181]

(Bloomberg) Putin's Propaganda Industry Tightens Its Belt

To me the worst was to lose RIA Novosti.

But yeah, now all main Kremlin funded media is becoming clones of RT major propaganda, from TASS to Sputnik...

It's kind of sad to witness how Putin's dictator's actions are spreading accross Russia, like a virus, making it rot.

[surpher 1]

(The Telegraph) Litvinenko inquiry: the proof Russia was involved in dissident's murder

National Security Agency (NSA) obtained communications between key individuals in London and Moscow from the time that Alexander Litvinenko was poisoned with radioactive material

[sudayev 27]

Google, Paypal, Valve join Apple. Others Cutting Off Crimea. AdWords, AdSense, Google Play blocked in Russia.

http://techcrunch.com/2015/01/23/google-joins-apple-others-cutting-off-crimea-blocks-adwords-adsense-google-play/

Sucks on other hand because many opposite media can lose financing due to AdSense block because blogs are important part of their activity.. This also means no profit for the Russian content makers on youtube.

Not sure about Steam. Is is region lock or total lock, I heard that it wont be possible for registered Russian users to buy games from Steam, especially since Paypal have stopped providing services there as well.

so it 's true

Edited January 26, 2015 by Sudayev

[surpher 1]

(BBC) FBI cracks 'Russian spy ring'

The FBI has charged three men it says were spying for Russia and trying to recruit sources in New York City.

(Bloomberg) S&P Cuts Russia's Rating to Junk; Sanctions and Oil Slump Hammer Ruble

Russia’s foreign-currency credit rating was cut to junk by Standard & Poor’s, putting it below investment grade for the first time in a decade, as policy makers struggle to boost growth amid international sanctions and a drop in oil prices.

[Colossus 2]

God almighty. Settle down, America. Blocking such services doesn't help the cause at all.

That being said, I'm not pro-Russian government, but these blockades Valve is doing are a bit silly. I don't like Putin, his government or his oligarchs for that matter. I did actually like the guy up until 2003-2004 - cause it seemed like the type of person Russia needed at the time, after what the not-so-sober Jeltsin contributed with - which by then things started to get little worrying.

[Rydygier 1317]

http://www.polskieradio.pl/5/3/Artykul/1363994,Sad-Najwyzszy-Rosji-odmowil-delegalizacji-stowarzyszenia-Memorial

The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation dismissed the application of Ministry of Justice for termination of Memorial, a non-governmental organization that defends human rights and documenting the crimes of Stalin.

In October last year, the Ministry of Justice spotted procedural errors in the statutes of the organization and has applied for its liquidation.

Today, a representative of the ministry said in the courtroom that "Memorial" completely removed the previously reported errors. However, the Ministry has not withdrawn its application.

Representatives of the "Memorial" say the request of the Ministry of Justice was politically motivated. In their opinion, association, investigating the crimes of Stalin and defending human rights, does not fit in the activities of the Russian government.

[surpher 1]

(BBC) How Russia outfoxes its enemies

Russia's annexation of Crimea last year caught almost everyone off guard. The Russian military disguised its actions, and denied them - but those "little green men" who popped up in the Black Sea peninsula were a textbook case of the Russian practice of military deception - or maskirovka.

(BBC) Russian military jets 'disrupted UK aviation'

Russian military planes flying near UK airspace caused "disruption to civil aviation" on Wednesday, the Foreign Office has said.

It said the Russian aircraft did not enter UK airspace, but the manoeuvres were "part of increasing pattern of out-of-area operations" by Russia.

Edited January 29, 2015 by surpher

[x3kj 1247]

i doubt those companies did it voluntarily because of their belief in "freedom". I rather think they where talked into it with a nice sum that outweights the gains from the blocked area by US gov with the added benefit that they can polish their "white knight" facade with it.

[ProfTournesol 956]

(BBC) Russian military jets 'disrupted UK aviation'

Russian military planes flying near UK airspace caused "disruption to civil aviation" on Wednesday, the Foreign Office has said.

It said the two Russian planes did not enter UK airspace, but the manoeuvres were "part of increasing pattern of out-of-area operations" by Russia.

The planes were "escorted" by RAF jets "throughout the time they were in the UK area of interest", officials added.

Russia's ambassador has been summoned to "account for the incident".

[x3kj 1247]

in summer they will also start reporting when russians didnt leave their airfields "but we where still very concerned for our civilian air traffic and we escorted their fighters with RAF jets while they where in the UK area of interest (in russia)"

[mistyronin 1181]

in summer they will also start reporting when russians didnt leave their airfields "but we where still very concerned for our civilian air traffic and we escorted their fighters with RAF jets while they where in the UK area of interest (in russia)"

You are talking about Russian bomber planes that didn't comply with international airspace rules. Which could easily provoked a terrible accident with a civilian airliner ( they didn't have their transponders switched on ).

And 25 miles from UK it's hardly Russia.

[surpher 1]

(SputnikNews) Unique Russian Academic Library Goes up in Flames

One of Russia’s largest academic libraries, which contained rare UN documents, ancient Slavic texts, and over 14 million books, caught fire on Friday night; although the blaze has been extinguished, the damage already appears to be extensive, having caused part of the roof to collapse.

(BBC) Russia cuts interest rates from 17% to 15%

Russia has cut its main interest rate from 17% to 15% because inflation "is stabilising".

The rouble fell by more than 2% against the dollar following the central bank announcement.

Today:

(The Guardian) Alexander Litvinenko inquiry: six things we’ve learned so far

1 The men allegedly sent to kill Alexander Litvinenko were clueless assassins

2 The most extraordinary piece of new evidence involves a German waiter

3 The Metropolitan police have done an impressive job

4 The Met has a crack 3D modelling team

5 British spies use Waterstones book store as a meeting place

6 Ben Emmerson QC has annoyed Vladimir Putin

(The Express) Intercepted Russian bomber was carrying a nuclear missile over the Channel

Sources within the Ministry of Defence last night revealed that one of the two long-range bombers was carrying at least one air-dropped “seek and find"d nuclear warhead-carrtying missile, designed to seek and destroy a Vanguard submarine.

(The Independent) President Putin is a dangerous psychopath - reason is not going to work with him

Everyone knows the saying about people who fail to learn the lessons of history being condemned to repeat it. It’s a slight misquotation, but the idea that we should be able to avoid making the same mistakes by studying the past is undeniably attractive. So what does history tell us about the behaviour of Europe’s biggest country, Russia, which is currently fighting an undeclared war with its neighbour, Ukraine?

Edited February 1, 2015 by surpher