A Reflection on Modern Russia

The 1st September in any year ending with a nine is always a good time to look back on the war that, 64-70 years ago, claimed millions upon millions of lives. It is also a good time to analyse the thoughts about the War that come from some of its key participants. Out of those nations, the views that stand out the most is those of Russia.

At today's ceremony to commemorate the War, Putin put the blame for the War solely on the Western nations, notably Britain and the US, for making deals with Hitler that led to the start of the War. That is, of course, without mentioning the most important pact of the times - between Soviet Russia and Nazi Germany. Similarly, a Russian documentary last weekend justifies Stalin's invasion of Poland by making the claim that Poland and Nazi Germany actually entered into a secret alliance. (!)

Unfortunately, too many Russians today believe in this nonsensical idea of Russian patriotism - many even look up to Stalin admirably, and use Russian actions in WWII to justify Russian imperialism today.

Which is really a sad reflection on modern Russia.

Nebraska Mall Shooting

Another day, another shooting. Or so it seems.

Hmmm - America is getting knee-deep in shootings and wars, Europe is going down the socialist road to oblivion, South America has a revolution every other month, and Russia is caught in the grips of a fascist government. Most of Asia is still dirt poor, the Middle East is trapped in the Middle Ages, and Africa...says enough. The only places which seems to be making progress towards a rational society and politics is Eastern Europe, and the richest societies of Asia. Here in NZ? It's obvious enough!

With regards to Chinese development: Most Chinese are still poor. The richest and most developed places in China are the Special Economic Zones, where almost complete Capitalism abounds under the eye of a watchful government. Apart from that, the areas that are the richest always have the most private industry, and foreign investment.

Putin's Straining Relationship-with the East

Putin's hatred of the west and neonationalism/fascism are starting to have an effect-not in the United States, but in Asia.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a six-nation alliance jointly led by Russia and China (obviously the two most powerful nations in the region), is opposing Putin's claims about the West to keep relations with the West relatively good, and avoid confrontations. Putin, the alliance claims, is a possible threat to the security of the region.

The only question is, will Putin care?

Stupid Putin

I've never liked the Neo-Nazi Tzar of Russia known as Vladimir Putin, but he's just reached a new low. After reacting the way he's done, it's little wonder why America needs a "shield"!

He claims that America is building its shield to protect the West from the Russians. Although it would be a good idea to use this shield in case Russia did attack, the shield's primary purpose is instead to protect the West from the rogue states and terrorist organizations in the Middle East. The planned shield, which is in fact a number of missiles located around Eastern Europe, was ruffling very few feathers internationally until Putin started complaining.

The main reason, I believe, for Putin's outrage is to get the media attention he's been craving for. He's used the incident as a platform to attack other nations, namely, Britain, about the Litvinenko controversy and Britain's allowing of Berezovsky, the president's main rival, to stay and work in Britain.

Putin has been threatening European nations since the whole ordeal started, and is using very little in the way of diplomacy. He's an uncompromising dictator who will revert back to Soviet methods to achieve his ends. 74 years of communism, 16 years of supposedly "democratic" rule, and the Tzars have never left.

Boris Yeltsin, Russian Father of Democracy, dies

Boris Yeltsin, the man who heroically stood on a tank one day in 1991 and declared the USSR (and, subsequently, almost all Communism around the world) extinct, has finally passed away.

Yeltsin will be forever remembered for that. But he will be remembered for lots of over things as well-among them, his eccentric behaviour. He was the very first Russian leader to resign from office. And yesterday, his life finally came to an end.

So, what's going on in Russia today? Unfortunately, after Communism fell rather quickly, Russia has become a somewhat fascist state. Many Russians feel they are worse off now than under the USSR.

However, the situation of the Russian Federation is hardly a failure of Capitalism and Democracy. Russia ranked only a pitiful 131st on the Heritage Foundation's list of most Economically Free Nations. Compare that to what is easily the most well-off former USSR state, Estonia that came 12th. Russia lacks basic property-rights and doesn't have a properly organised bearaucracy, compared to Estonia, of which is also much more smaller. Russia is also plagued with corruption, which is anything but a Free-Market institution.

If Russia needs to get ahead, it needs to grant basic property rights, and gets it's government in order. Estonia, which was in fact built off Milton Friedman's ideas in his book Free to Choose as former PM Mart Laar says, would be an excellent example.

Is Anyone Surprised?

...North Korea failed to meet the deadline to shut down it's nuclear reactor.

The US told North Korea on Sunday that it must take action within days to suspend it's nuclear weapons program, after a pledge North Korea made two months ago. Democrat nominee and current New Mexico governor Bill Richardson remains optomistic, who just returned from a trip to North Korea collecting remnants from American soldiers who died in the Korean war. He believes that North Korea will shut down their nuclear reactor this week. It is the sixth trip he has had to the country.

The US Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill has said that the countries involved (US, China, both Koreas, Japan and Russia) will likely meet again toward the end of this month. North Korea has yet to decide on a deadline before which to completely dismantle it's nuclear program.

Good ol' Communism huh.

Skyscrapers-Warsaw Palace of Culture and Science

Built in 1955, the Warsaw Palace of Culture and Science is a very special building. A "present" from Joseph Stalin to Poland, the skyscraper is 230 metres high (think slightly taller than the skydeck on the Skytower) and was built by 3500 men in three years. It looks similar to many other buildings built by the Soviets during that time.

There are 42 floors in the Palace of Culture and Science, which add up to a total area of 123,000 square metres. Although the state doesn't own the building anymore, many Poles originally hated the building because it represented Soviet domination over their people. A small group still does today.

The building has an observation deck 114 metres high, which is a popular local tourist destination. Locals used to make fun of the building with the joke that the tower had the best view of the city; it was the only place in the city that it could not be seen [in the cityscape].

Four six-metre high clock faces were added to the tower in 2000, making it the second tallest clock tower in the world.

Russia-Really Free?

Following the death of ex-KGB spy and Putin critic Alexander Litvinenko, it is time for the West to seriously start considering the freedom in post USSR Russia. This is a country where the media is run fully by the government, and for the benefit of Russian President, Vladimir Putin. As we have seen from the deaths of Putin critics throughout his reign in power, Russia is still very much state-controlled.

The death of Litvinenko is only one in a long line of assassinations of Putin critics. Barely two months ago, Anna Politkovskaya, a journalist exposing corruption within the Russian army, especially in Chechnya, was found dead outside her apartment. Putin responded by saying "her murder brings much more harm to the Russian authorities than her publications".

On top of these two murders, the Committee to Protect Journalists, a New York-based organisation promoting freedom of the press, called Russia the third most dangerous nation in which to be a journalist. The committee also said that Putin "has brought much of the once thriving post-Soviet media under indirect government control through the use of punitive tax audits and hostile takeovers. All three major television networks are now in the hands of Kremlin loyalists".

In July earlier this year, the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Centre did a survey of Putin's popularity in Russia. It reported that 87% of all Russians supported him as President, and 60% had full confidence in him up until and during the time the survey was conducted. Such numbers are never reached in other Western Liberal Democracies in peacetime.

Litvinenko, who worked for the FSB (the Intelligence Agency after the Soviet Union broke up), was a Russian dissident who fled to the UK for the final years of his life, where he wrote his books. In the UK, he was granted citizenship and political assylum. He accused the Russian government of the assassination of Boris Berezovsky, a billionaire.

In one of his books, Litvinenko stated that Putin's rise to power was a coup d'eat organised and carried out by the FSB.

Litvinenko was hospitalised on the 1st of November. He died three weeks later, of polonium-210 radiation poisoning.

Litvinenko's books include "Blowing up Russia: Terror from Within" and "Gang from Lubyanka". In both he makes allegations that the FSB were carrying out terrorist attacks in Russia and blaming the attacks on Chechen terrorists, and that Vladimir Putin was involved in organised crime. Litvinenko also accused Putin of being a paedophile. He stated that "all the bloodiest terrorists of the world" had connections to the FSB.

So how can a government that kills journalists and political dissents possibly be a Free Western Democracy? Until Putin removes his controls on the Russian media and brings the FSB under control (to stop it killing fellow Russians) his nation can't be considered "free" or a "democracy". However, we have to wait to see if that happens. Like my father said:

"The Communists have reinvented themselves as Fascists".

Sources: Wikipedia-Alexander Litvinenko, Vladimir Putin