In Days of Crisis, Russia Goes Stakhanovite
Back in the days when I was studying the lost science of Sovietology, every year the Soviet newspapers would boast of record harvests that had overfulfilled the plan, while the reality was much grimmer. Even if the numbers weren’t doctored, the sad fact was that a very large part of this grain never made it […]
Stanislav Markelov: Don’t Read this Book
In commemoration (or perhaps, in mourning) of this weekend’s anniversary of the Russian constitution, we offer an exclusive translation from human rights lawyer Stanislav Markelov from RuleofLaw.ru. Don’t Read this Book By Stanislav Markelov There are books that are an element of ritual irrespective of their content. Earlier, as they say under the tsar Gorokh […]
Review of Jonathan Simon’s “Governing through Crime”
There are few books that so reflect an author’s mastery of a subject as much as the latest contribution from Jonathan Simon, the Associate Dean of Jurisprudence and Social Policy at the University of California Berkeley. Simon’s polemic and ambitious book, Governing through Crime: How the War on Crime Transformed American Democracy and Created a […]
Russian Opposition Forms New Movement
From the Associated Press: Former chess champion Garry Kasparov and other prominent liberals launched a new anti-Kremlin movement in Russia on Saturday. The organization, called Solidarity after the victorious Polish anti-communist movement, aims to unite the country’s dysfunctional liberal forces and encourage a popular revolution similar to that seen in other ex-Soviet countries. “We are […]
A Glossary of Russia’s Economic Euphemisms
“Newspeak” in Russian is “novoyaz.” This handy glossary of politically correct journalistic vocabulary in times of crisis comes to us courtesy of the “Open Electronic Newspaper” Forum.msk.ru, whose slogan is “Who owns information, owns the world”. The article remains tantalizingly silent about whether or not this is an actual list handed down from above or […]
Grigory Pasko: An Unbearable Sense of Shame
I am not ashamed that the president of my country – is the smallest president in the world – barely 160 cm [5’3”] tall. Not by height is the greatness of a person determined. I was, of course, ashamed for those journalists who in a fit of sleazy sycophancy compared Putin with Peter I. (Lord! […]
The Recession Taboo
It used to be all about not saying the C-word, but now, you can get in big trouble if you dare to utter the R-word. This one comes from Reuters: Russia’s chief macroeconomic planner ran into trouble with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Friday, after saying Russia was already in a recession. ‘It (recession) has […]
Yavlinsky on the Crisis
A conference on the theme “Ecology and politics” took place at the end of November of this year in the Institute named after N.Vavilov in Mosco. There weren’t many speakers: chairman of the committee for ecology of the Public Chamber V.Zakharov, former minister of ecology of Russia V.Danilov-Danilyan, correspondent-member of the academy of sciences of […]
No More Juries in Russia
The Associated Press press reports that trials by jury are on the way out in Russia, which is obviously very bad for rule of law. The lower house of Russia’s parliament approved a bill Friday that would end jury trials on charges of terrorism and treason. Critics denounced it as a retreat from democratic freedoms. […]
Energy Blast – Dec 12th, 2008
Sparking several reports speculating that Russia will join OPEC, President Dmitry Medvedev has signaled a possible reversal of the Kremlin’s oil independence, suggesting that Russia could cut oil output and join ‘current organizations of producers‘ to bolster international oil prices. Medvedev made it clear, however, that any group action would be taken in Russia’s interests […]
Russia News Blast
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RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – February 24, 2022
Today in Russia: Invasion. Will the world respond?
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RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – February 23, 2022
Today in Russia/CIS: Ukraine calls up reservists; Levada Center Director Volkov on public opinion in Russia; Erdogan says Turkey won’t accept Russian moves in Ukraine; EU and US latest sanctions; Russia-Ukraine crisis as viewed Uzbekistan; Israel walks a tightrope on its Ukraine position
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RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – February 22, 2022
but which borders?;’ History professor (and President) Putin delivers fiery speech; Lavrov re-writes the rules of international sovereignty; UK and EU roll out initial sanctions, and Washington plans big moves; Nord Stream 2 finally meets its end after a slow, painful death; Zelensky’s speech; White House: On second thought, that’s an invasion; How will China respond?; Russia to evacuate all diplomatic staff from Ukraine
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