From A Mouse To A Tsar

Under Putin poverty has been reduced by half, a huge middle class has emerged, the natural resources has gone back to the people, defence budget up 50%, controll over the mafia conditions of the 90s. For these reasons he had about 70-80% approval rating. He also stands up to the West when we break international law and dont respect russian national security. To bring stability, safety and prosperity has been goal number one.

They have a democracy, but it can of course be improved. But they want a managed democracy with state involvement. And they do not want to take any lectures from America as it has plenty of faults.
America has two candidates for president and neither dear to question the legitamacy and survival of the emipire. There is little "free and unbiased" media which is obvious when Georgia attacked Ossetia, and every channel named Russia as the aggressor. America has no repect for international law and puts itself above the UN.
Russia does not want to be a part of this global dictatorship where America sets all the rules, who can be attacked and what laws apply to different nations. Russia wants a international law which all should follow. They offer friendship and trade with all nations, but if we continue to sponsor attack on them like we did in Georgia, put NATO up at their borders and build missile shield at their borders they will use any means to balance out the power structure.

In his mission to restore Russia's pride and prestige, President Vladimir Putin has repackaged the Soviet national anthem, reinvented patriotic pro-Kremlin youth groups, and revived the cult of the suave KGB office
But despite bringing back these old archetypes, Putin isn't interested in a Soviet restoration. This time around, Russia's path to greatness lies in a modern authoritarian corporate state. Some Kremlin-watchers have even dubbed the country's Putin-era ruling elite "Korporatsiya," or "The Corporation."

"I like using the term 'Kremlin, Inc.,'" says Russia analyst Nikolas Gvosdev, a senior fellow at the Nixon Center. "I think there are a number of boardroom strategies that apply to how policy in Russia is developed."

Since coming to power eight years ago, Putin has carefully crafted an image of himself as the undisputed master of Russia's political universe: a strong, stern, and solitary leader calling all the shots. His most recent moves -- unexpectedly naming the heretofore unknown Viktor Zubkov as prime minister and announcing that he will lead the pro-Kremlin Unified Russia candidate list in December's parliamentary elections -- have only served to solidify this impression.

But in reality, Russia is run by a collective leadership -- the Kremlin Corporation's board of directors, so to speak. Putin is the front man and public face for an elite group of seasoned bureaucrats, most of whom are veterans of the KGB and hail from the president's native St. Petersburg. Together, they run Russia and control the crown jewels of the country's economy.

All key political decisions in Russia, including Putin's most recent bombshells, are the result of deliberation and consensus among members of a tight-knit inner sanctum many analysts have dubbed "the collective Putin."

"These are people who have been with Putin from the very beginning," says Olga Kryshtanovskaya, director of the Center for Elite Studies at the Russian Academy of Sciences Institute of Sociology. "Together they thought up this model of the state and government that is in place now."

The Other Russia Coalition will lead opposition demonstrations across Russia on March 3rd, the day after Russia???s presidential election. Up-to-date locations and details.

http://www.theotherrussia.org

The Other Russia Coalition will lead opposition demonstrations across Russia on March 3rd, the day after Russia???s presidential election. Up-to-date locations and details.
see more: http://www.theotherrussia.org/

THE EUROPEAN AND RUSSIAN DESTINY: DEMOCRACY PART 1

By Larry Houle
www.godofreason.com
E-mail: intermedusa@yahoo.com

There can be no doubt that President Putin is behind the recent assassinations in Moscow and London. His is the mind that is directing these evil acts with total deniability, of course. What Putin has established in the Kremlin is a Murder Inc. Mafia controlling total political and economic power. Death squads are roaming out from the Kremlin. Anyone who threatens ??? this power ??? is eliminated. The first act of nucleur terriorism came not from Al-Qaeda and Osma bin laden but from the Kremlin and President Putin. Just as Russia was about to emerge from 1000 years of darkness, into the light of democratic freedom - Putin and his KGB gang has plunged his people back into the abyss. Quoting the famous Russian writer Vladimir Sorokin ???Germans, Frenchmen and Englishmen can say of themselves: "I am the state." I cannot say that. In Russia only the people in the Kremlin can say that. All other citizens are nothing more than human material with which they can do all kinds of things.??? This is the Russia, Putin has created. An immoral, lawless wasteland. He is a traitor to his country. He is a traitor to his people.

However all is not yet lost for the EU or the Russian people. With Dmitry Medvedev ready to become President, the EU must appeal directly to the new President and the Russian people and offer them a different vision of their future ??? a future of a strong democratic Russia - economically and politically. The success of the EU experiment is absolutely essential for Russia's economic future. A successful and peaceful democratic transformation of Russia is absolutely essential for the EU???s economic future. A true symbyonic relationship. A democratic Russia in an alliance with the EU would create a powerful and stabilizating force for world peace.

It is important to the EU that Russia not be isolated but brought into the European family of nations as a full and equal partner. It was Putin who once stated that he wanted - A Europe WITHOUT BORDERS. The EU must now make this offer to Medvedev. The EU must explain to the Russian people that because of the expansion of NATIO and the EU for the first time in a thousand years - Russia is free from invasion from the West. Russian mothers no longer have to bury their sons by the millions due to invasion or leave their dead bodies on European battlefields due to their government alliances with Western countries.

The expansion of the EU through the Enlargement Process and the creation of a Special Free Trade Zone including a privileged partnership with Russia is the only way to guarantee freedom and democracy for Russia and Central Asia and oil/gas supply security for Europe.

EU AND RUSSIA : DEMOCRATIC ALLIANCE PART 2

By Larry Houle
www.godofreason.com
E-mail: intermedusa@yahoo.com


The national security of the EU and Russia can only be guaranteed by all countries adopting democracy and the rule of law. Democracies don???t fight other brother democracies. Their people would rather drink beer then make war. Democracy can only be spread through example and formulation of alliances. Its implementation aided through trade, economic aid, and the creation of free trade blocks - never though the use of force. Employing the sword to spread democracy is a true oxymoron.

The EU is one of the most important entities to the success of democracy. Europe is building a country composed of independent nation states. This mission is truly heroic and historic. One of the great success stories in the history of democracy was the EU accession of 10 former Eastern European nations in 2004. One hundred million people brought home to Europe as free and democratic peoples. After two world wars and the death of 110 million people in the space of 30 years ??? this was a remarkable achievement.

Unfortunately the EU has recently lost its way. The future of both Russia and the EU depends on the successful completion of the European experiment. Brussels in partnership with a democratic Russia must put together an action plan to complete EU expansion and create a free trade zone of democratic nations stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific and from the Arctic to the Antarctic (2.4 billion people.) The EU and Russia must fulfill their common destiny ??? a democratic partnership.

EU Membership Declaration

All nations bordering the EU have a moral right to join provided they meet one of the following 3 criteria:

1.European Country
2.European nation.
3.European people.

Brussels sends letters of invitation to Russia, Belorussia, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia - the Balkan States of Serbia, Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Bosnia. These letters of invitation start a 15 year process of moving these nations through the 35 chapters of the legal accession requirements. The final accession agreement with each country will depend on Europe???s economic and political status in 2021. No promises. No guarantees. By placing each of these countries on a path to membership, there will be an immediate flowering of democracy and economy in all these states. Brussels does not have the moral right to deny any of these countries entry (unless they fail in the 35 chapter process). Ukrainians are as European as the French or Germans. To leave the Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova without access to Europe - forcing them into a Russian Empire and loss of their national sovereignty would be a criminal act equal to Munich or the selling out of Eastern Europe to Stalin and the Soviets. A black stain on future European history.

EU AND RUSSIA : DEMOCRATIC ALLIANCE PART 3

By Larry Houle
www.godofreason.com
E-mail: intermedusa@yahoo.com

Obviously, Russia will not join the EU. However in the letter of invitation to Russia, Europe should also offer a Super Special Relationship incorporating Russia not only into a NAFTA style free trade agreement but a special political and economic partnership bringing it as a major player into the very heart of Europe. Russia would be allowed to elect delegates to the European Parliament based on 25/40% of its total allotment as if it was a full fledged member. These delegates would participate in all committees, vote on all issues, but with no veto power. Russia cannot and must not be isolated by the West. A full and equal partnership between Russia and the EU must be offered to the Russian people. In return Russia must democratize its political institutions. If the Russian government refuses then Russia will not be able to complain when other nations decide to join. And the EU leaves the offer on the table as a demonstration to the Russian people of a different vision their economic and political future ??? a vision in direct conflict with Putin???s national repression and domination of its Near Abroad neighbors through energy blackmail.

The strategy is for Brussels to offer Russia an equal partnership in a free trade zone incorporating the Ukraine, Turkey, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, the 5 Stan states and Mongolia. This free trade zone would then be joined to NAFTA (US/Canada/Mexico) creating an economic giant of 1.4 billion people. This giant is then expanded to include South and Central America (2.4 billion). In this free trade zone, Russia, the Stan states, Ukraine, Turkey etc are granted full access to Western markets for trade, investment and technology. The EU is guaranteed energy security ??? the very essence of the NAFTA Agreement between Canada and the United States. (Canada was given access to the US market and in return Canada guaranteed the US - energy security,)

Through this free trade alliance with guaranteed access to the EU and NAFTA - the Russian economy will be able to break the petrol strangle hold Gasprom etc have over the economy. Growth in the other economic sectors of the Russian economy with access to a market of 1.4 billion plus people will explode.

In this way a Europe without borders living in peace and security can be created stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

One can only hope that Medvedev will one day transpire to be his own man. And yet, Putin is anything but stupid. Why would he want to stay on as prime minister if he was not insistent on continuing to rule the roost? One of his greatest strengths has always lain in calculating, and I assume his bet is that the office of prime minister will, before too long, be more powerful than that of the president.