The two grand bargains being offered by the 21st-century tsar
http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,1653670,00.html
Many Russians accept a loss of democracy as long as they prosper.
Should we give Putin respect in exchange for gas and oil?
Jonathan Freedland in Moscow
Wednesday November 30, 2005
The Guardian
Think of it as the Sinatra test. On Sunday, assorted liberal,
democratic and opposition groups will take on the might of Vladimir
Putin in elections for the Moscow city parliament. This should be
fertile terrain: the capital city is packed with well-educated,
enlightened folk and was once seen as the citadel of Russia's
pro-democracy movement. Put another way, and to paraphrase Ol' Blue
Eyes, if the opposition can't make it here, they can't make it
anywhere.
Putin
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.atheism/msg/cf9db6bf05a04d90
Russia
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.atheism/msg/cd3eb1840b43f444
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