Comments on: Recess Games http://dissidentvoice.org/2007/10/recess-games/ a radical newsletter in the struggle for peace and social justice Sun, 22 Nov 2009 22:26:27 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: heike http://dissidentvoice.org/2007/10/recess-games/#comment-7776 heike Sun, 21 Oct 2007 15:54:38 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/10/recess-games/#comment-7776 > You're really removed from reality. It is the Russian leadership that has been making noises about the enemies in the West, and Russian expansionism is designed to reestablish the Soviet empire under Russian hegemony. The Russian regurgitation of the Komsomol (Nashisty) is trying to educate young Russians to hate the West. Countries that turn toward the West, such as Estonia, are subject to cyber attacks, se nding of delegations demanding the country's government resign Yes, of course, real human rights are "scrupulously observed." Did you ever hear the name Politovskaya? Who controls the media in Russia? How much freedom is there for opposition forces? How many human rights are "scrupulously observed" in a country that allows mobs to attack the Swedish Ambassador because of the crime of visiting his Estonian colleague? And the very same Tanya Lokshina whom you so glibly quote in your article has a very frightening view of the human rights situation in her country: President Putin's regime has destroyed practically all the independent institutions capable of exercising control over the executive branch. There is no such thing as an independent judiciary either. The Duma (parliament) is nothing but a puppet of the Kremlin. Independent business became history following the trial of Khodorkovsky and the destruction of his company Yukos. The media is severely censored and after the shocking murder of the award-winning journalist and human-rights champion Anna Politkovskaya in October 2006, members of the small community of independent journalists and human-rights defenders realised how utterly vulnerable they all are. The new NGO legislation and the newly amended anti-extremist legislation are custom-made for selective use against the Kremlin's critics and opponents. Recently, the Russian-Chechen Friendship Society, a small human-rights group promoting conflict resolution in Chechnya was closed down under the combination of these laws. Other victims are likely to follow in the immediate future (see Oksana Chelysheva, "Russia's iceberg: a Nizhny Novgorod report", 25 April 2007). In the run-up to the parliamentary election in 2007 and the presidential election in 2008, the authorities are ruthlessly suppressing public protests. Peaceful assemblies and demonstrations are not forbidden under superficial pretexts. These de facto bans provoke the protestors to hold unsanctioned rallies, which are then violently dispersed by the police. A vivid example is the "march of dissent" held in Nizhny Novgorod 0n 24 March 2007, when several dozens of political and civil society activists were confronted with 20,000 police. A similar unsanctioned march was conducted in Moscow on 14 April; independent monitors, media and international organisations (including the Council of Europe) all highlighted the excessive use of force by law-enforcement authorities against the protestors. (end quote) Get yourself at least an elementary education about the facts before you so blithely make sweeping statements. >

You’re really removed from reality. It is the Russian leadership that has been making noises about the enemies in the West, and Russian expansionism is designed to reestablish the Soviet empire under Russian hegemony. The Russian regurgitation of the Komsomol (Nashisty) is trying to educate young Russians to hate the West. Countries that turn toward the West, such as Estonia, are subject to cyber attacks, se nding of delegations demanding the country’s government resign

Yes, of course, real human rights are “scrupulously observed.” Did you ever hear the name Politovskaya? Who controls the media in Russia? How much freedom is there for opposition forces? How many human rights are “scrupulously observed” in a country that allows mobs to attack the Swedish Ambassador because of the crime of visiting his Estonian colleague?

And the very same Tanya Lokshina whom you so glibly quote in your article has a very frightening view of the human rights situation in her country:

President Putin’s regime has destroyed practically all the independent institutions capable of exercising control over the executive branch.

There is no such thing as an independent judiciary either. The Duma (parliament) is nothing but a puppet of the Kremlin. Independent business became history following the trial of Khodorkovsky and the destruction of his company Yukos. The media is severely censored and after the shocking murder of the award-winning journalist and human-rights champion Anna Politkovskaya in October 2006, members of the small community of independent journalists and human-rights defenders realised how utterly vulnerable they all are. The new NGO legislation and the newly amended anti-extremist legislation are custom-made for selective use against the Kremlin’s critics and opponents. Recently, the Russian-Chechen Friendship Society, a small human-rights group promoting conflict resolution in Chechnya was closed down under the combination of these laws. Other victims are likely to follow in the immediate future (see Oksana Chelysheva, “Russia’s iceberg: a Nizhny Novgorod report”, 25 April 2007).

In the run-up to the parliamentary election in 2007 and the presidential election in 2008, the authorities are ruthlessly suppressing public protests. Peaceful assemblies and demonstrations are not forbidden under superficial pretexts. These de facto bans provoke the protestors to hold unsanctioned rallies, which are then violently dispersed by the police. A vivid example is the “march of dissent” held in Nizhny Novgorod 0n 24 March 2007, when several dozens of political and civil society activists were confronted with 20,000 police. A similar unsanctioned march was conducted in Moscow on 14 April; independent monitors, media and international organisations (including the Council of Europe) all highlighted the excessive use of force by law-enforcement authorities against the protestors. (end quote)

Get yourself at least an elementary education about the facts before you so blithely make sweeping statements.

]]> By: Shabnam http://dissidentvoice.org/2007/10/recess-games/#comment-7725 Shabnam Sun, 21 Oct 2007 02:11:00 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/10/recess-games/#comment-7725 Thank you for this article. I am interested to know more about the game Putin is playing because Putin is using Iran Card to squeeze more concessions from the West especially the United States. Putin is not with Iran, Putin needs Iran to get what he wants and apparently so far Bush is so desperate to destroy Iran for the benefit of Zionists and Israel that has forgotten American interest. I think the game Bush and his associates are playing gives more leverage to Russia and makes Russia stronger. This is my believe that Russia and Israel have also “special relationship” which is hidden from us. Putin has robbed Iran billions of dollars to finish the Busherh Reactor yet has not done so. I think he probably does not want to finish it because he wants a weak Iran like Israel does. Another reason for Russia to keep Iran weak is the question of the Caspian Sea treasure. Now he wants to use Iran Card to negotiate the installment of the defense system in East Europe. Shame on him. I do not understand why Bush goes along with the Zionist’s plan since Iran historically has been an ally of the United States and still can be more beneficial to American empire compare to illegitimate Zionist state of Israel which has created so many problems for the world and has wiped other communities off the map and continue to do so for its illegitimate existence. Israel is a liability sold as an asset by the pro Israel interest group including Noam Chomsky to keep Americans ignorant about the Zionist hegemony over the foreign policy especially in the Middle East and beyond. Thank you for this article.
I am interested to know more about the game Putin is playing because Putin is using Iran Card to squeeze more concessions from the West especially the United States. Putin is not with Iran, Putin needs Iran to get what he wants and apparently so far Bush is so desperate to destroy Iran for the benefit of Zionists and Israel that has forgotten American interest. I think the game Bush and his associates are playing gives more leverage to Russia and makes Russia stronger. This is my believe that Russia and Israel have also “special relationship” which is hidden from us. Putin has robbed Iran billions of dollars to finish the Busherh Reactor yet has not done so. I think he probably does not want to finish it because he wants a weak Iran like Israel does. Another reason for Russia to keep Iran weak is the question of the Caspian Sea treasure. Now he wants to use Iran Card to negotiate the installment of the defense system in East Europe. Shame on him. I do not understand why Bush goes along with the Zionist’s plan since Iran historically has been an ally of the United States and still can be more beneficial to American empire compare to illegitimate Zionist state of Israel which has created so many problems for the world and has wiped other communities off the map and continue to do so for its illegitimate existence. Israel is a liability sold as an asset by the pro Israel interest group including Noam Chomsky to keep Americans ignorant about the Zionist hegemony over the foreign policy especially in the Middle East and beyond.

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