Putinvision

[Marshal Murat]

Russian Entertainment (http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/06/02/africa/russia.php)

So it seems our friend in the Kremlin has made several television critics...disappear...
Now, I know most of you guys are against censorship, but that's not why I'm asking this. It's more a question of, if there are no critics, does that mean the president (or prime minister) will reign popularly, indefinitely?

[naut]

If he backs it up the way Stalin did. Create a public God-like image while enforcing ruthless repression, sure why not.

[PBI]

That's the idea.

This is why democracy is pointless unless human rights and freedom of speech are respected. With those things in place, democracy is the icing on the cake. Without them, it's a futile exercise in propaganda.

Equally disturbing IMHO is the fact that Putin basically owns all the media in Russia.

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

Well the Russians wanted a Tsar, now they have one again.

Until they decide they don't want one, one will keep popping up.

[Geoffrey S]

It'd be interesting to see what other options there are for governing such a massive, ethnically varied and socially unstable country.

[HoreTore]

It'd be interesting to see what other options there are for governing such a massive, ethnically varied and socially unstable country.

Well break it up into smaller pieces then.

[Fragony]

In Russia's case that would be bitesize pieces, if you want the best for these guys, better not.

[Viking]

Russian Entertainment (http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/06/02/africa/russia.php)

So it seems our friend in the Kremlin has made several television critics...disappear...
Now, I know most of you guys are against censorship, but that's not why I'm asking this. It's more a question of, if there are no critics, does that mean the president (or prime minister) will reign popularly, indefinitely?

This is kinda old...


In Russia's case that would be bitesize pieces, if you want the best for these guys, better not.

Then split it up in two pieces; or maybe three, or how about four?

[CrossLOPER]

Then split it up in two pieces; or maybe three, or how about four?
Why so few? Just go ahead and break the country into thousands of little principalities led by cruel, short sighted little men who make war on each other every other week? Why not do this to the rest of the world? Think about it: No inter-related widespread international conflicts!

[HoreTore]

Why so few? Just go ahead and break the country into thousands of little principalities led by cruel, short sighted little men who make war on each other every other week? Why not do this to the rest of the world? Think about it: No inter-related widespread international conflicts!

Now I'm not sure, but last time I checked, Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg were all doing okay... Same thing with the Islands in the Caribbean.. Been a while since any invasions there... The arab emirates too, come to think of it.

[Fragony]

Now I'm not sure, but last time I checked, Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg were all doing okay... Same thing with the Islands in the Caribbean.. Been a while since any invasions there... The arab emirates too, come to think of it.

We are kinda short on long distances here, and that is just one of the reasons why that really sucked.

[CrossLOPER]

Now I'm not sure, but last time I checked, Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg were all doing okay...
Same thing with the Islands in the Caribbean.. Been a while since any invasions there... The arab emirates too, come to think of it.
Clearly, the case would be exactly the same here. :idea2:

[cegorach]

It'd be interesting to see what other options there are for governing such a massive, ethnically varied and socially unstable country.


Do you mean Canada or Australia ?

I didn't know any of those suffered from social instability, but that wasn't the case.

Actually a modern example might be India - certainly diverse and with numerous problems, but their solutions are simply promising something better than Putin's centralisation and vassalisation (e.g. Kremlin nominated, local 'warlords' in Chechenya, Dagestan etc).


When it comes to Russian media - nothing new, actually.

[Viking]

Why so few? Just go ahead and break the country into thousands of little principalities led by cruel, short sighted little men who make war on each other every other week? Why not do this to the rest of the world? Think about it: No inter-related widespread international conflicts!

I'd prefer that it stayed in one piece; was defeating an argument.

That said; I doubt that your argumentation is valid.

[Geoffrey S]

Do you mean Canada or Australia ?
Ethnically diverse and large, true, but mostly commonly united by their common immigrant heritage and shared national identity. Russia has showed time and again to be lacking in the latter.

Actually a modern example might be India - certainly diverse and with numerous problems, but their solutions are simply promising something better than Putin's centralisation and vassalisation (e.g. Kremlin nominated, local 'warlords' in Chechenya, Dagestan etc).
Possibly. It's not a situation I have looked at properly before.

[CrossLOPER]

That said; I doubt that your argumentation is valid.
I was exaggerating, but I seriously don't like the "let's break it up" argument towards national boundaries. Imagine certain governors ruling a city-state.

Also, unless everyone else decided to turn toward themselves and point their weapons and coffers away from each other, I think the outcome would be undesirable. :sweatdrop: