Our presidents never cheat, lie, steal and murder—not much. Except for Richard Nixon in collusion with Henry Kissinger, of course, as he’s the exception believed to prove the rule. Along with shrub by now.

Russia, much less Russian leadership is never reported on honestly in media in this country, thanks to ongoing Cold-War mentality that never died in big media. Not likely in Germany either, where former West Germans are still bitching and moaning about having had to absorb former East Germans. There’s “freedom” in the abstract (a la George Bush and crew), and then there’s real-life economics.

No doubt Medvedev DID win in a landslide, since as it turns out (not unlike in the case of Castro in Cuba and Chavez in Venezuela, to name just two), the actually average Russian, as opposed to Russia’s nouveau riche always presented in media here as the “average” Russian, loves Putin, and so likely voted for the guy Putin designated. Greatly-still-loved-here Bill Clinton hasn’t designated his wife? And Ted Kennedy and Oprah, Barack?

Distinction without a difference.

Putin pursued a policy of ruthless brutality against Chechnya; but then, after the Beslan massacre (which was just as heinous a crime as any in history, including the Holocaust and 9/11, and Mi Lai and Haditha, and Sabra and Shatila, and genocide by Turks upon Armenians and Hutus upon Tutsis—to mention just a few and assuming body-count is hardly the measure of the heinousness of the crime)… Which doesn’t mean assorted Russian leaders’ policy toward Chechnya was thereby— retrospectively—justified. Our own war on Afghanistan has never been justified, anymore than Taliban’s on Afghan women. (Chomsky has explained why there is no such thing as “just war,” back when he addressed senior West Point Cadets. Addressing those people on that topic would scare the hell outta me! Except they listened, and then applauded and then gave him a gift. Not really surprisingly when one remembers that persons in the military are faced with or already have endured real war. Unlike Rush Limbaugh and Bill O’Reilly, who never endured anything more than a pain-killer and a loofa, respectively.)

Despite patently silly claims to the contrary, the Russian people aren’t somehow by nature given to authoritarianism. No human being is. At the same time, no people’s history could be more different from our own than that of the Russian people.

Which is to say most in the West (and most anywhere else) don’t know nothin’ about what it is or has been to be Russian, especially over the last century.

Harvard-educated blowhards from here could hardly get themselves over to Moscow fast enough to award state-owned industries to a handful of individuals who then took full advantage while the actual average Russian endured yet further impoverishment under “new” capitalism. Yeah, new bosses not too different from old bosses, except worse.

At least Putin otherwise (always an “otherwise” in the case of political leaders) reined in new billionaire bastards, who, same as ones here and elsewhere around the world, imagine themselves a breed apart, same as do run-of-the-mill sociopaths. In fairness, they are indeed a breed apart, products of sick societies, and so not themselves responsible for their condition. Still, ruinous for those not quite so narcissistically given to lust for wealth (power at the same time) at any cost in a process of quenching narcissistic thirst, which of course is unquenchable. (Political science is forever leaving out social psychology.)

Seems to me, Russians made a better choice than we’ve made in over 30 years. I doubt Russians ever forget their history, same as Middle Easterners never forget theirs. Nor Latin Americans and Native Americans, et al. Santayana recommended as much to all, but we…we keep forgetting.

Americans, much less Germans, are in no position to criticize out of context given their histories.

so both russia and the united states have undemocratic central governments that use the press to serve their interests at the expense of its citizens,
and the only ones who dont know this truth are the same citizens on whose vote they depend on for election.

the only Western observer mission in Russia, said candidates had been denied equal access to the media, and registration procedures made it hard for independents to stand.

WE SHOULD MIND OUR OWN BUSINESS!!!!!!

“(Insert name here) Wins Amid Murmurs of Election Flaws” -

I look forward to this same headline after our 08 election. Any one want to bet.