Anna's Birthday

Today she would have turned 52.

Way to go, Vova.....

This is why or, rather, against what, we will be protesting tomorrow outside the Russian Mission to UN in New York. The same will be happening in London. He is delussional and it is dangerous.

MOSCOW — Prime Minister Vladimir Putin disparaged Russian dissidents in crude street language in an interview Monday and said they would keep getting beaten if they continued to hold unauthorized rallies.

Putin has never shown much tolerance for dissent. After he became president a decade ago, Russia cracked down on opposition leaders and increased government control of the media. Now as prime minister, Putin still wields tremendous influence over policy, despite the presence of President Dmitry Medvedev. Putin has been coy over whether he will run in the 2012 presidential election.

Putin told journalists on Monday that it was "complete gibberish" that he continues to run the country.

"I'm tired of foreign policy," Putin told journalists traveling with him in Russia's Far East. He said Medvedev was handling it well and he saw no need to interfere.

In the interview published in the newspaper Kommersant, Putin defended his record and touched on a variety of topics, including foreign policy.

He said President Barack Obama seemed sincere in his desire to improve Moscow-Washington relations, despite U.S. policies that appeared more hostile. Putin pointed to continued U.S. military support for Georgia following its brief war with Russia in 2008 and U.S. plans to put a missile defense system in eastern Europe.

He also said imprisoned oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky deserved his punishment. Khodorkovsky, serving an eight-year sentence after being convicted of fraud and tax evasion, is now on trial on new charges that carry a sentence of up to 22 years.

Putin said in the Kommersant interview that he was surprised to learn of the second case against Khodorkovsky. That claim caused some wry amusement among Khodorkovsky's supporters, who say the legal assault against him was punishment for challenging Putin.

It was questions about the political opposition, though, that inspired the colorful language Putin seems to love.

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"What's good about the contemporary world?" Putin was quoted as saying. "You can say something around the corner from a public toilet and the whole world will hear because all the television cameras will be there."

Russia's opposition leaders depend on international television exposure because they are blacklisted from Russian television and their protests are rarely aired.

Putin predicted that Russian police would keep breaking up opposition protests unless the dissidents obtain official permission to rally – permission they are routinely denied in central Moscow.

"You will be beaten upside the head with a truncheon. And that's it," Putin declared.

Opposition leader Boris Nemtsov said the interview showed Putin to be "dishonest, ignorant and evil."

"It's clear that the call to beat your own people, moreover those who are unarmed and not showing any resistance, is a crime," Nemtsov wrote in his blog.

Opposition groups plan to rally Tuesday evening and predict that police will now be emboldened to use greater force in detaining protesters.

The opposition holds protests on the last day of every month with 31 days to call attention to Article 31 of Russia's constitution, which guarantees freedom of assembly. Nemtsov was among the dozens detained at last month's protest.

The rallies have been held on Triumph Square, but this month the Moscow city government fenced it off and announced plans to build an underground parking garage. Putin said he was unaware that the square had been closed. "I give you my honest word as a party member," he said, resurrecting an expression used by Communist Party members in Soviet times.

Kadyrov and more

Yet another 'proof' that the Chechen president is a guarantor of peace and stability in the Caucasus.

As for the recent almost daily extermination of rebel fighters in Ingushetia and Dagestan, i have a good reason to believe that they are killing off their own people inside those rebel groups.

People have ceased asking me why I take on some really hard core issues, in my work and otherwise, but occasionally I ask myself that. I think it is because i never did turn cynical. And because, like Anne Frank, adoption of whose diary for stage was my first job, "Despite everything, I believe that people are really good at heart. Anne Frank Everyone has inside of him a piece of good news".....

What's life if not a search for the right side to be on.

I have a pretty great idea, i think. If there will be no good news with regards to the Moscow theatre siege case by the anniversary date in October, we should do a picket in New York, demanding another proper investigation. Out of 129 people killed there were two Americans, who died as the result of the government's use of the toxic gas.

Thought of the Day

Quitting smoking was easy. Quitting some people I'm finding hard.

and

The real TANDEM in Russian politics is not Putin-Medvedev, it is instead Putin-Kadyrov (known as 'Portrait and 'Redhead', respectively), with to 'SS' - Sechin and Surkov, as support 'barrels' on both sides.

U2 singing in Moscow with the Russian opposition musician Yuri Shevchyk

31st of August

We're in the middle of preparing for the Strategy 31 event next week on the 31st of August. Not a huge outpouring but enough for the first round. How it will be viewed or disected remains to be seen.

Why......

It is interesting that when his wife asks him if he wants their daughter to marry a 'mujahadeen', he ignores the question. He also said, just as he was about to be killed, that he was 'tired'.

The fact of the matter is that after Andrei's arrest the situation in Dagestan, where a big chunk of his work was done, deteriorated and terrorist attacks followed. Certain people, Andrei's superiors prior to those attacks neglected to take care of Andrei's... lets call them 'sources', who, in all likelihood, could prevent those attacks and deaths of so many people. The letter appeal to the president Andrei wrote was not delivered by the people we asked. Rage does not begin to describe how i feel.

Simply can't bring myself to get involved in the Mosque/Ground Zero debate. Arguments for both sides seem to have relevancy and lack of at the same time.

Like Buddha said, winning and losing is the same thing-it means nothing.

Brilliant, every word of it

Матвей Ганапольский, обозреватель, Thursday, 19.08.2010 18:19


Матвей Ганапольский, обозреватель : И вновь продолжается путч

19.08.2010 | 18:19
Различные акции, посвященные 19-й годовщине путча, проходят сегодня в Москве и Санкт-Петербурге.

***

Путчистов арестовали, осмеяли, потом выпустили, потом забыли.

Но они выиграли стратегически.

Конечно, это трудно предвидеть тогда, но сейчас, по прошествии 19 лет, они могут праздновать победу.

И дело не в названии государства, которое они отстаивали, а дело в его сути. Путчистам совсем не нужно было пленить Горбачева и пускать по телевизору «Лебединое озеро». Им, партийно-советской номенклатуре, как никому нужно было помнить, что почти восемь десятков лет большевизма даром не проходят. Эти года произвели генетические изменения в советском человеке, как в собаках, которые из волков превратились в лижущее руку существо, боготворящее хозяина, просто за то, что он хозяин.

Безусловно, тогда никто не знал, что демократия – это сложнейшая работа, проводимая десятилетиями. Тогда казалось, что скинь ненавистную партию-тирана, и естественная тяга человека к свободе стронет огромную страну.

Никто не стронулся. Все переложили борьбу за будущее на правозащитников, не забыв их самих объявить сумасшедшими. «Сумасшедшая баба Лера» - это о Новодворской, «сумасшедшая фашистка Алексеева», сумасшедший фашист Лимонов, либерасты, дерьмократы – все это победа путчистов.

Они добились своего – те, кто наперекор царству путинской братвы и медведевских реформ «по капле три раза в год» продолжает отстаивать главное и единственное, что осталось – конституцию страны, объявлены сумасшедшими, причем, не властью, а народом. Граждане сделали свой выбор и закопали новую Россию, увидев в историческом повороте к приватизации исключительно хапуг-олигархов, а в нескольких годах демократии и свободы, исключительно пьяного Ельцина.

Граждане просрали свою страну, не желая участвовать в ее жизни и обидевшись на тех, кто богаче, но вакуум всегда чем-то будет заполнен. И он заполнился новой путинско-медведевской Советией, только стоящей уже не на коммунистичесмкой сказке о «благе для всех», а на жестком посылании граждан даже не на три буквы, а на все буквы русского алфавита.

Прошло 19 лет истории России, и снова все на местах: граждане ничего не решают, а все решает власть. Она отменила выборы и разделила Россию среди своих.

Свои владеют ее богатствами, свои руководят, свои пишут идеологию. Молодежный резерв будущего набирают также из своих.

Власть не слышит критику и не собирается на нее отвечать; она ведет воины по своему желанию и назначает врагами того, кого хочет.

Только раньше это были Генеральные Секретари, а сейчас это Президенты и Премьеры, которые, играючись и с трудом подавляя смешок, меняют друг друга в Кремле.

Но самое главное - эта власть уже вечна и несменяема, потому что, в отличие от глупого политбюро, она раздала гражданам зарубежные паспорта, чтобы недовольные, без скандала, уезжали за границу.

Россия умерла.

И не Ельцин с Березовским и не дуумвират виноваты в этом. Виноваты те, сидит на кухне в Интернете, в Твиттере и блогах, но готов согласиться, что в 12-м году, цари просто сменят друг друга, подтираясь конституцией. Да, кстати, ведь они ее не нарушают, не так ли?

А граждане размышляют о том, кто из дуумвирата придет на царство, да смеются над сумасшедшей бабой Лерой – вот и вся их работа в стране Советии.

Но, если ты, думая о будущем России, размышляешь исключительно о том, кто из них будет новым Президентом, то ты такой же труп, как и твоя страна.

Мертвые страны очень похожи на живые, они гниют незаметно.

Просто иногда человек сидит на кухне и задает себе вопрос – а что я решаю в этой жизни? И отвечает: ничего.

Мертвая страна гниет через потухшие души своих граждан.

А жаль, хорошая страна была.

What was edited out

This is what was edited out from Putin's meeting with the victims of the fires in one of the regions. One of the women is yelling 'Stop lying to us! You're not doing anything for us!' And exclamations of the this kind were heard from all over.

I was talking to Jan Lantus yesterday, the chief editor of the Polish newspaper Nowy Dziennik, and he said that Poland really is a free democracy and moderate economic growth. And that Polish people, looking at other prosperous countries, instead of feeling envious and hateful like Russians, strive to reach the same level of well-being in their own home. And there are interesting facts about the plane crash in Russia that took lives of a large part of Polish political elite including Polish President Lech Kaczynski. Apparently for days the area was not cordoned off and the locals were soon selling as 'souvenirs' bits of the plane and even passports of those who perished.

And another brilliant piece from the two clowns

As the situation shows no signs of improvement, Putin is using this opportunity as he thinks to his advantage, simultaneously feeding his Superman complex. In reality he is turning tragedy into a farce.

P.S Most expensive 'amusement rides' are openly accessible to Mr. Putin: Fighter jets, submarines etc

Putinenok

Poo

Putin's self evaluation is at this point is far from being objective which is a bad symptom. He makes laughable comments and statements, like the one about the song he was singing with the failed Russian 'agents' (song about the Motherland), with all seriousness. He is nearing the state of Brezhnev towards the end of his 20 year reign. Except Putin has the aggressiveness that Brezhnev in his later years did not have. He now has all the makings of a tyrannical clown. He is nearing the absurd with his shirtless torso photos and bike rides.
The fires and the aftermath that will follow, and the complete incompetence of the government to deal with the situation, i fear, will still not shake people up. Tis not, nor it cannot come to good.

Continuing my work on the book about the theatre siege here are some of the photos, that will go in.

Saw a wonderful play tonight Someone to watch over me. The last time i saw this production was in London in 05. It's a brilliant pay that got me crying, thinking and even coming to peace with some things in my own life by confronting them. General thoughts also drifted freely. How to step out of the skin of a coward. How to remain free in captivity while others are prisoners while being free. How not to waste yourself.

Thoughts at 5PM

Народ никогда не должен быть полностью доволен властью, это крайне опасно. власть не может быть совершенной и должна знать, что к ней придираются и будут придираться. народ несет ответственность за власть которую имеет, а власть ответственна перед народом. это единсвенная нормальная форма существования.

Hell's Kitchen

The wildfires in Russia that are currently destroying hundreds of thousands of acres of land, villages, towns and military bases, and disabling major cities like Moscow is, of course, a result of the abnormally high temperatures and lack of complacency with the fire prevention laws. But, with the magnitude of the disaster increasing by the day, one cannot help but feel like there is something else in all of this. Perhaps a 'warning shot' of sorts to a nation that leads a very wrong existence. Wrong by whose standards? By human standards. Bribery, corruption, lies, anger, lack of compassion, vulgarity, terrifying treatment of the elderly and animals and an aggressive outlook on the rest of the world. I'm sorry Russia, but that's you. It might not be too late to put out the fire, and nature will help, but it might be too late to save the country. Now that will require a miracle.

Вводный пост

Вводный пост

31 of August, Russia Embassy...

The idea that was voiced yesterday about a peaceful picket/demonstration outside the Russian embassy in New York is an appealing one. For those who are not in Russia right now but do care about the state it's in, this will be an opportunity to do something. While the opposition in Moscow will once again go to the streets on the 31st of August to continue demonstrating its support for the article 31 of the Russian constitution which is responsible for the human freedoms, we can do the same here. Even at the risk of very few people showing up. Perhaps it can be a beginning of something bigger and better. At any rate, i find the idea exciting and we must work on it.

Nord Ost Work, continued

Pictured: Olga Romanova, while she worked at Krasny Oktyabr, the chocolate factory.
Here is one of the things we are going to develop here-what happened to Olga who walked into the theatre under siege, and why, in fact, she walked in, when the building by this time was cordened off with 3 circles of army personell.

On photos-Olga with friends; Olga's parents, Moscow 09