Yesterday Michael Idov had a piece in the New Republic warning readers not to misunderstand the automobile tariff protest uprisings in Russia as any kind of real political movement – yet.  Outraged citizens who took to the streets over Vladimir Putin’s “characteristically artless” tax hikes to encourage Russians to buy more Lada Kalinas (picture) over better cheaper imports may indicate that “the rules have changed,” but this is no color revolution.  This organic outpouring of discontent with the Putin administration is not being organized by the liberal opposition – but does that necessarily mean the movement won’t evolve into something else?

Idov believes that the political structure of Russia has been altered to the extent that peaceful change is no longer possible: