Is Russia still an Authoritarian state??

Check out this article that I've just read. It's about the assassination of Anna Politkovskaya, and the reasons why she was assassinated. It's very chilling if true. It claims that the Russian mafia goes up straight to important government officials such as Putin. It even claims that he's part of the KGB.

www.financialsense.com...


The following is part of the slain journalists' book, which could be one of the main reasons why she was murdered.

The Russian president was cold and correct, as usual. Politkovskaya was one of Russia’s last voices for freedom, and freedom in Russia has given up the ghost. Two years ago Anna Politkovskaya finished a book. It was titled Putin’s Russia: Life in a failing democracy. According to Politkovskaya’s introductory notes, “This book is about Vladimir Putin – but not, as he is normally viewed in the West, as seen through rose-colored glasses.” Among her disturbing revelations from inside Russia: first, that the Chechen government had been financed from Moscow; that “today’s Russian, brainwashed by propaganda, has largely reverted to Bolshevik thinking”; that the vast majority of big businessmen in Russia are former Communist Party officials; that the fall of the Soviet empire was merely the “fall of the visible structures of the Soviet system” while secret structures remained in place. Who in the West could absorb such revelations? “The return of the Soviet system with the consolidation of Putin’s power is obvious,” she wrote. Gorbachev’s New Economic Policy (NEP) ended as Lenin’s NEP ended. It fooled the capitalists, who invested in Russia. It fooled Western leaders, who no longer think of Russia as a threat. This great deception has thereby disarmed the West as it brought money and technology to Russia for rebuilding the country’s antiquated heavy and military industries. It does indeed appear that the “collapse of communism” was orchestrated and planned. And now that six thousand KGB officers have taken direct charge of the Russian government, we must ask the question that Politkovskaya asked: “Is the return to power of the secret police a coincidence?”

Furthermore the article is claiming that the Russian mafia is a greater threat to the United States than any terrorist organisation out there.. Including Al Qaeda:

The KGB was long ago tasked with destroying freedom. It is also tasked with bringing America to its knees. It has created, supported and fueled international terrorism for decades. KGB-directed false flag terrorism in Chechnya has justified the re-establishment of dictatorship in Russia (see the work of former KGB/FSB officer Alexander Litvinenko, author of Blowing Up Russia). What we have to understand is that the KGB’s murderous intentions extend far beyond the borders of Russia, far beyond the victimization of Chechny. The Moscow-directed false-flag terrorism of Chechnya is only one leg of a two-legged monster. The Chechens are merely guinea pigs for testing new weapons and new methods. One day these weapons will be used on Americans.

It then goes on to say this:

Russia is dangerous because Russia’s rulers have nuclear weapons and they have mastered the criminal underworld. The Kremlin can neutralize the security services of any country through blackmail and murder. It can sabotage the most powerful economy through false flag terrorism. It may eventually wage nuclear war without regard to economic or environmental consequences.

Emphasis mine...

Alright, ask yourself the question: who would benefit from Russia being considered a threat? US would be one. So don't take that article too seriously.

US have proven to be the "evil guy" lately, so there would be attempts to discredit Russia in the eyes of society. Otherwise, the anti-russian media propaganda would be a waste of money, right?

The media will always try to make connections where there are none. It's a tool of the government, whether it's the "free" and "democratic" America, or "evil", "communist" Russia.

As far as Putin being connected to KGB and criminal underworld - it is likely to be true.
Putin worked for a long time in KGB, so the chances of him being connected with it still are almost 100%. There is no way to survive in Russia without being familiar with the criminal underworld (I don't mean participate in it, but just know a few people), so Putin is likely to know a few people there as well.
Perhaps his connections are what enables him to successfully drive the Russian economy up, and very likely so.

I could scare you now, confirming that Russia is planning something to destroy America, but that won't be true. If anything, it wants to regain its status before Lenin and rise of USSR where it had the respect and trust of the world. The methods are going to be different to achieve that goal, than in the old USSR. Many Americans hate Russia, and believe the same holds true for Russians. And perhaps their assumptions are the things that are driving them to write these stories.
Russians feel more competitive towards America, rather than consider it an out-right foe.

I don't know who ordered the killing of Anna Politovskaya. I can see from extracts of her book that she wrote un-constructive critisism. She blamed Putin for all those things, but didn't even offer an alternative. At the very least, he is doing more than many other Russian presidents before him, and deserves credit for that. Another arguable point - what is wrong with Russia establishing a socialist system? Worked in China, and my parents also have good memories from the time the socialist (not communist as many have believed) system in Russia (1970s onwards). The society was closer together and there was a sense of stability in the country. The future was clear. Everyone's business was everybody else's business. People helped out each other and cared for one another. That is the kind of atmosphere Russia was promoting to other countries.

Unfortunately, "promoting" isn't the right word to use in all cases. It was forced sometimes. And people assosiated communism and socialism with Stalin, and were also scared by the American view of Russia and communsim - where it was believed that behind the "Iron Curtain" was pain and suffering.


Anyway, I'm a bit off topic again. My position is that Putin may not be entirely corruption free (but than no politician is, nowdays), but that is no reason to believe he is responsible for the assasination. There is no reason for him to kill her, since the book is going to be published anyways and it will attract widespread attention. His ratings are good, so even less reason for him to do it.
And as far as Russia being a threat - not for another decade or two, my Western Friends.

EDIT: The western media may not talk about it, but it doesn't mean its not happening. Every week, Putin tackles some problem of everyday life in Russia. He is talking about problems that people consider to be of key concern and he is not afraid to go on national television and allow people to ask him questions via video conference, telephone, txt messaging and also takes questions from abroad. He may make mistakes and the western media tries to portray him in the worst light, but I see the other side of the story. I compare the two and come to my own conclusions.

[edit on 25-10-2006 by Alex Dude]

I havent heard or read this anywere (which makes it all the more interesting) but:

Putin called G.W. Bush, didn't he? To say that the murder will be found? Why call Bush to inform him of this? Perhaps Putin suspected him of something? And why inflate the murder of a single journalist to such an extent? CIA have been suspected of conducting assasinations through various underground people. What if this was simply an attempt to discredit Putin? I'm sure people in Washington are keeping a close eye on the people who oppose Putin in Russia and saw Anna Politovskaya as an excellent target. All the blame would fall on Kremlin and Putin, right?
But then again - Washington had a reason to keep her alive too... she was writing against Putin and basicly doing their job for them.

[edit on 25-10-2006 by Alex Dude]

I think Russia is not as opened as the Western governments. I don't think they are becoming a dictatorship (most Russians like Putin). And people hold the fact that Putin is an ex-KGB guy against him yet nobody held the fact that Bush senior was in the CIA. And the CIA and KGB were totally identical.

Originally posted by Alex Dude
Alright, ask yourself the question: who would benefit from Russia being considered a threat? US would be one. So don't take that article too seriously.

US have proven to be the "evil guy" lately, so there would be attempts to discredit Russia in the eyes of society. Otherwise, the anti-russian media propaganda would be a waste of money, right?

The media will always try to make connections where there are none. It's a tool of the government, whether it's the "free" and "democratic" America, or "evil", "communist" Russia.

I have spent some time in Russia, and from my own conclusions, it is still very much authoritarian.

Some parts have checkpoints to get in/out of any town.

Some places have statues of Stalin.

The military state is very real.

Of course, if you travel to Moscow you will see none of this. It is meant to be that way.

If someone wants to know more about this subject, send me a u2u.

I have heard that Putin is former KGB. I also heard he restored the Soviet national anthem as russia's national anthem. I dont know much of what is happening in Russia because frankly I dont know but I assume putin is looking for the old glory days of the USSR.

As an American, I dont fear Russians invading and I can never really remember a time where that was a great concern to me. The cold war ended when I was in 1st grade lol.

I believe the same time the USSR was dissolved, the CIS was formed, which is basically the same thing minus most of the eastern bloc places that were causing too much trouble anyway. The CIS has been suffering plenty of teething pains, but the fundamental infrastructure for a major soviet bloc is very much still there.

The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) (in Russian: Содружество Независимых Государств (СНГ) - Sodruzhestvo Nezavisimykh Gosudarstv) is the international organization, or alliance, consisting of 11 former Soviet Republics: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.

I bet most of you had never even heard of it. Read it up @ wiki

Russia is no longer a super power and will not be any time soon. Russia is so corrupt with various Mafia that the country is about to implode upon itself and the country is on the verge of going midevil again. Much of Russias population is leaving and just about anything is better is the attitud. Read this link and I think it will give some a better view of how widespread their control is in the world.
en.wikipedia.org...
Also notice some of the people linked to them in this section.
(Foreign businessman associated with the Russian mafia)