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The United Russia party apparently secured a 99% majority in Chechnya, on a 99% turnout.
The Putinjugend are holding a victory rally in Moscow as I type.
It appears that the secrecy of the ballot was not universally respected; for example 'those voting for United Russia were entered into a prize lottery in the city of St Petersburg'. One wonders how they could tell.
It's always instructive to compare Russian and Chinese propaganda. At the moment, Chinese propaganda is filled with apologetic remarks about monetary policy and the need for action on climate change, and the occasional panda. The Russians seem not to bother with propaganda, the state of affairs is presented unapologetically by former KGBniks, with a very strong 'what are you going to do about it?' tone.
Modest-proposal mode: lift immigration restrictions against Russians, so at least they can get out. Get Ukraine into the EU as soon as can be arranged. Build nuclear power plants, fund ITER, insulate, conserve; and long for the day that we can tell the Russian government, as the Saudi despots, that they are welcome to drink their oil and breathe their natural gas, for we their former addicts have no need for it. In what-if mode, wish that Yeltsin had blasted the KGB to ash as thoroughly as the Stasi and Czech StB were dismantled.
In other news, Livejournal has been bought by СУП, 'an international online media company with established partnerships with businesses across the globe. It was founded in the summer of 2006 by an international management team with Russian seed capital'.
The Putinjugend are holding a victory rally in Moscow as I type.
It appears that the secrecy of the ballot was not universally respected; for example 'those voting for United Russia were entered into a prize lottery in the city of St Petersburg'. One wonders how they could tell.
It's always instructive to compare Russian and Chinese propaganda. At the moment, Chinese propaganda is filled with apologetic remarks about monetary policy and the need for action on climate change, and the occasional panda. The Russians seem not to bother with propaganda, the state of affairs is presented unapologetically by former KGBniks, with a very strong 'what are you going to do about it?' tone.
Modest-proposal mode: lift immigration restrictions against Russians, so at least they can get out. Get Ukraine into the EU as soon as can be arranged. Build nuclear power plants, fund ITER, insulate, conserve; and long for the day that we can tell the Russian government, as the Saudi despots, that they are welcome to drink their oil and breathe their natural gas, for we their former addicts have no need for it. In what-if mode, wish that Yeltsin had blasted the KGB to ash as thoroughly as the Stasi and Czech StB were dismantled.
In other news, Livejournal has been bought by СУП, 'an international online media company with established partnerships with businesses across the globe. It was founded in the summer of 2006 by an international management team with Russian seed capital'.
