Quote: (08-17-2012 05:19 PM)Vicious Wrote:
How petty can you guys get? You are applauding the complete dissolution of rule of law in the world's biggest country, a nuclear power because it hits home at a couple of girls who annoy you? Pretty damn narrowminded.
Vic, I understand where you are coming from, however, I am afraid you are being misled. I don't understand why this represents the "complete dissolution of the rule of law". What these girls did was wrong and failure to punish it will just invite more of the same behavior. They should be punished. This is how it all starts and as you can see it was influenced from outside of Russia (one of the girls was a Canadian resident).
Western feminism is a cancer. Russia has decided that they are not willing to let in this caner to spread in their culture. I applaud them for it. So much of what we here about in Russia when they arrest dissidents have to due with western funded NGO's (so called Non-Governmental Organizations) and other organizations infiltrating their system to undermine it. Then our media covers it under the pretext of their "authoritarian regime" and lack of democracy.
Take for example, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, who "describes itself as a non-profit, non-partisan policy institute 'working to defend free nations against their enemies'. It was founded shortly after the September 11, 2001 attacks to address what it regards as the 'threat facing America, Israel and the West'." What a lovely democratic NGO, of course headed by James Woolsey, former director of the CIA. They would never support dissident groups to undermine Russia.
Or, take a look at the Soros Foundation. "Soros Foundation is one of a network of national foundations, mostly in Central and Eastern Europe, which fund volunteer socio-political activity, created by George Soros, international financier and self-proclaimed philanthropist, and coordinated since early 1994 by a management team called the Open Society Institute." Have a look at Open Society Institute's "Russia Project." This is the west funding dissidents in Russia to undermine their system.
"Intended programs (of Soros foundation) include 'the education of librarians and others; expansion of a free press, Internet, and e-mail communication; publishing; human rights; arts and culture; and social, legal, and economic reform'. You can read that last part I highlighted as women's rights, homosexual rights, minority rights, immigrant rights, multiculturalism, etc.
Have a look at this Guardian article, titled "US campaign behind the turmoil in Kiev," which illustrates just how the United States does it.
Take a look at Soros Foundation and U.S. Influence in relation to Color Revolutions. "A significant source of funding for the Rose Revolution was the network of foundations and NGOs associated with Hungarian-American billionaire financier George Soros ... Soros spent $42 million ramping-up for the overthrow of Shevardnadze." You can read more under the Rose Revolution section titled Funding from Soros-related organizations.
Organizations such as:
The National Endowment for Democracy, which is a "U.S. non-profit organization that was founded in 1983 to promote democracy. It is funded primarily through an annual allocation from the U.S. Congress, within the budget of USAID, the U.S. agency for development assistance, which is part of the U.S. State Department."
The International Republican Institute "an ideologically right-wing organisation, funded by the United States government, that conducts international political programs, sometimes called 'democratization programs'." Oh, so if you don't want United States "democratization programs" and you arrest their agents, then like Russia you have no respect for the rule of law or democracy. Oh, and senator John McCain sits on this organizations board of directors.
The National Democratic Institute for International Affairs is "an (tax payer funded - Department of State) organization created by the United States government by way of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) to channel grants for furthering democracy in developing nations." On their board of advisors is Madeline Albright, former US Secretary of State, and John Wolfensohn, 9th president of the World Bank.
Freedom House "is a U.S.-based non-governmental organization (NGO) that conducts research and advocacy on democracy, political freedom and human rights." Go to their website and check out their "leadership." I just clicked the first one, William H. Taft IV, and here is a brief excerpt "His long service in government includes serving as the Deputy Secretary of Defense, the U.S. Permanent Representative to NATO, and as chief legal advisor to the State Department."
----
After seeing all this, can you really say that Russia is cracking down on dissident groups? Or are they defending their sovereignty and culture from foreign influence. Don't get me wrong, I am no fan of Russian leadership. They are a corrupt security state run by a former KGB agent. However I think that their actions should be seen in terms of the big picture that is going on.
Edit: It is not nice to live under any authoritarian regime. Just ask the Occupy Wall street protesters who got beaten and arrested and ask these foolish, manipulated girls once they get out of a terrible Russian jail for a few years. How much exactly of this sort of thing is funded from outside the country in a big geo-political game? We will never know.