Managing the Vote

Here in America our government and most of our citizens are so obsessed with the notion of "manifest destiny" that we continue to think that every country in the world must follow our form of democracy to work. This self obsorbed feeling of superiority seems to blind people like the author of this blog to the fact that some countries cannot function without a strongman, a dictator. Putin is one example,Musharaff and Chavez are others. Look what happened to Iraq after the US got rid of Saddam?

Anyone who is expressing the opinion that there is some danger of Russia overtaking the West hasn't spent much time in Russia. The whole country has plumbing that you can't even flush toilet paper down without creating a catastrophe. I was down in Saint Petersburg this weekend and when you go out to the outlying areas there are construction cranes everywhere. The amusing part is that all of these new (and I imagine expensive) new apartments are being built using the same construction techniques that has resulted in the present stock of crappy housing. Russians from here go to Finland and marvel at how efficiently everything runs and then go home and continue to do things in the same stupid way they have been doing them for the last fifty years. I like Russians and would like to see them do well. But I fear that there is something in the Russian mentality that is going to make progress very difficult. Oil prices and government spending have created better living conditions for most Russians, especially in the cities. Unfortunately, most of their new disposable income is used to buy foreign products because the quality of Russian products is still dismal.

Matthews is a canndy ass.If the kremlin calls it "managed democracy" then thats what it is.It's none of the west's bissness what or who the peopel of Russia voteing for.Politics are not an open disscussion for all.They are the will of the peopel .The will of the peopel to be governed. So I say ,sorry to be redundent;but personaly if your goimg to atemped some type of govermantal watchdog deal,watch your own f%$# country.If you can pry your selvs from your bank wholdings and remember that peopel suffered in the eastern bloc whel the west went on a oustentaious drug inducsed rampage of retarded capitalistic spending.That was to be the beganimg of the now world order.

Anon: Interesting! Every Russian I've ever met has been passionate, musical, insightful, and able to play chess with one hand while doing calculus with the other. Of course, in the US we only meet the cream of the crop, those lucky enough to emigrate, but still I'm always impressed. I personally think that if they set themselves to a less daunting task (IE ruling from the Baltic to the Pacific) they'd do better. No culture, no matter how energetic, is able to rule such a gigantic piece of land without straining themselves beyond the breaking point. That's why the US removed itself from the Phillipines, Panama, and Cuba. The grandiosity of Russia's leaders' expansive vision has been used to drug the Russian people with a vision of them ruling half the earth. As a result, nothing ever gets done.

Greg: You're one of those people who demands everything be perfect. Of course, under that kind of worldview, nothing ever gets done. There is a substantial difference between the parties in this country. The Republicans are running on a platform that celebrates the shredding of basic constitutional protections and fundamental American values. The Dems are trying to return us to a national life not unlike the one we've always lived.

Gregwk, you can't spell. I go to Russia several times per year. The new Russian educates himself, and prides himself in his achievements. We, as Americans, should start to take the same pride, we are getting too lazy. Globalization will catch up to us and the rest of the world would only love to spank us. The Russians take themselves seriously, and try to be perfectionists. One is amazed at the amount of wealth in that country. If we take ourselves seriously and bide our time, we will outlast this current political disaster in Russia and stay ahead of them. Think of what you wish to write, then write it, then check it. Take pride in EVERYTHING you do, personally.

gregwk, you can't spell.

One can almost here Putin as he reads this musing something about the pot calling the kettle black. While I'd certainly agree that America is *more* democratic than Russia, America --intentionally or not -- creates the same "protect the status qou" via the staggering cost of its elections. . And really, how many of us really believe that out of *all* the candidates in the Republican and Democratic primaries, that *any* of these candidates pay more than lip service to the electoriate. The mainstram media srves the same purpose in the US as it does in Russia. So while it's OK to live in a glass house and throw stones, let's not kid ourselves about the current state of our own democracy.

One can almost here Putin as he reads this musing something about the pot calling the kettle black. While I'd certainly agree that America is *more* democratic than Russia, America --intentionally or not -- creates the same "protect the status qou" via the staggering cost of its elections. . And really, how many of us really believe that out of *all* the candidates in the Republican and Democratic primaries, that *any* of these candidates pay more than lip service to the electoriate. The mainstram media srves the same purpose in the US as it does in Russia. So while it's OK to live in a glass house and throw stones, let's not kid ourselves about the current state of our own democracy.

Flowerdude: It's no wonder that we generally support Putin's goverment - the unprecedent, spectacular bull ran durind the last years tremendously lifted the living standards for the majority of population. it's remain unclear however to what extent the current boom related with only gas and oil. You might see the similar boom in Ukraine the country that doesn't have much energy resourses...

As far as democracy is concerned - the situation is very simply - in the country where the handful of companies generate the bulk of state revenue there is always a limited room for democracy. The US struggle for independence started from slogan - no taxation without representation - in Russia currently we have a negligible tax, just13% flat tax rate regardless of income plus regressive social tax (the more you earn the less you pay). So it's no wonder that the goverment doesn't feel the need to be accountable before people. In effect we effectivly don't have taxation, so how we could demand representation i.e democracy????????

Russia's natural resource policy has always entailed leaving the resources in the ground until they're valuable enough that foreign countries will pay for the lifting infrastructure. It's a cunning and profitable policy. Don't sell cheap.

People who advocated expanded drilling in the US want to do the exact opposite thing. They want to encourage energy wastage for short-term economic benefit (or for the avoidence of a little near-term inconvenience.) This is a dangerous policy which will undermine America's energy security and damage our economy in the long run. We must treat our native resources as a savings account balance, to be handled with care, and we should limit as much as possible any extraction of that resource. We must beat Russia ant their own game.

Our liquid petroleum supplies are negilbile and won't really repay the cost of extraction (including the cost of enviornmental risk) right now, so they're gonna stay in the ground. The US has enough coal to last us for a century or more, all we need is to carefully husband it's extraction and use, through higher energy taxes. These taxes will fund clean and efficient technologies like closed-cycle, which will allow us to exploit the resource without pumping harmful CO2 into the air. Nuclear, of course,, is far too expensive, when you figure in the risk to life and property, to be economically feasible in our lifetime, especially if Congress mandates energy cuts and realistic mileage and utility standards..

If ever there was a time for the US to drill more of our own oil and to get other energy sources up and running to get more energy independence , it is now. With energy prices high as they are and with the implications of so much of our money going out to these other countries like Venezula etc. I am tired of our politicians playing politics and doing nothing except messing around when we could be lowering prices and helping ourselves and our allies be more energy secure. US oil and energy could help the US, lower prices, keep more of our money in the US, and give allies like Japan, Britain and Taiwan a better energy supply. We should not keep prices up, pay through the nose to send money out to places that might not like us too much,a nd have our "energy switch" controlled by them. The left should stop kissing up to the weenies and have more oil drilling in Alaska and elsewhere, and the right should stop playing "perhaps" with solar and hydrogen... and they should BOTH get behind nuclear, allow nuclear fuel reprocessing (which would eliminate a lot of the US nuclear waste problem within a few years by turning spent rods nto fuel as is done in Japan, France etc.) and also allow burning of old tires, which are more efficient and less polluting than coal. Those would be real steps the US could take to cover ourselves and our allies in the new political landscape and to get energy prices down for the american people.

If ever there was reason for the US to drill her own oil and build more independent energy sources it is now. Much better than letting the dictators of the world hold the switch for all the energy and giving them money. I am tired with oil so high and money going to Putin an dVenezuela everyone still plays politics instead of getting America more energy independent. More and or other diverse power sources in the US would help our allies like Japan and Britain and Taiwan who could buy US oil too.

Dear Sir,

A small comment on "Nashi" and other youth groups portrayed. These groups are not as numbered and active as one may observe over press reports. The vast majority of youths matching along the streets prior to election were students of no political views or power. They were forced to go on these demonstrations
by schools, colleges, etc.

On the other hand, a sharp decline in education standards in our country will inevitably lead to dangerous trends such as nationalism and political blindness of future generation. It is for the people themselves to educate themselves and their children to eliminate adverse effects of the environment.

Time will tell whether stability alone can work to shape up future enlightenment. My view is that In our age mass media diversity is a prerequisite for morally healthy generation to come.

The west is wallowing in envy over Russia's Resurgence. President Vladimir V Putin has undoubtedly restored the former Superpower to her former greatness. The Russian people acknowledge this and that's why Mr. Putin remains so incredibly popular. Like Reagan was to America, so is Putin to Russia. He is the father of the Nation and he will defend its soverignty and interests at all costs. Western analysis on Russia has always been pessimistic and utterly self serving and more often than not have proven to be wrong. Who could predict that Russia would be where it is today after the great woes and Ecomonic collapse of the 90s under Boris Yeltsin's western style democracy. The Russians equate Yeltsin with chaos and shame and Putin with Stability and Pride in the same way that Americans contrast Carter and Reagan. If the people want a Czar let them have their Czar. The fact is Russia is on a roll and their is no stopping her.

You shut up!!!! This article is not about America, so stop worrying about Russia, you retard!