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GET IT OFF YOUR CHEST - Has the human rights situation in Russia improved during Putin’s term of office?

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mehran October 1, 2008, 11:53: No
Arthur September 17, 2008, 17:36: No!
Californian September 17, 2008, 09:40: Sevodnya_Net - why did United Russia outscore SPS in 2007 elections with Russian citizens living in the US voting? As for my linguistic usage, you have gravedug, expect verbal consequences. You knew they were coming when you gravedug, and you knew damn well it was gravedigging.

Also, did you ever think that Russia's just tired of negativity from politicians, which is all that Kasyanov would have been able to produce? You're not trying to be negative to Russians, right? It's not like your name is "Sevodnya_Net" (Not Today) or anything, right? Seriously, you don't come onto forums expecting to play softball. The Russian Media can play softball with CNN, I choose not to do so with you. Food for thought: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFQFB5YpDZE
Sevodnya_Net September 16, 2008, 21:33: Hi Californian,
I can see that my suggestion to go easy on the aggression and the bad language has, predictably, fallen on deaf ears.
Not for the first time, you almost manage to make a saliENt point, but, as you have failed, I'll make it for you as follows:
It could be argued that Mr Kasyanov is simply an embittered ex-cabinet minster - there are plenty of those the world over in all countries, but Mr Kasyanov's "embitterment" would in any case date from long before the last presidential election. There was a four-year gap between not being PM any more and trying to stand in the Presidential election.
The point I would have made back to you, had you suggested this, is that there are, if you bother to look, a whole raft of people making exactly the same criticisms as Mr Kasyanov who have never held high office. Had Kasyanov been able to stand for election he would have had access to the mainstream media to make his arguments. Of course he wouldn't have won the election, but Kremlin plc, it seems, leave nothing to chance :-)
Californian September 16, 2008, 10:41: How to gravedig an article by Sevodnya_Net:

1. Wait 10 days
2. Go crap, I am getting my ass kicked in another article, must gravedig.
3. Post what's more convinient, with apologies, even if it's directly unrelated to the topic.
4. Assume your readers are retarded - biggest mistake Sevodnya_Net makes on this forum.

For instance: "Citizens lost their constitutional right to get
access to an independent point of view."

Really? I was unaware that the Internet is censored in Russia throughoutly. How are my Russia freinds able to contact me? How do they get my youtube links? Must be majic.

If one was to actually wonder why Mr. Kasyanov would say such retarded shit, one again has to re-read Sevodnya_Net provided quotes:

"Why did you change from being a prominent member of Putin's government to one of its most outspoken critics?"

I'm sure it had nothing to do with this: "Mr Kasyanov's recent candidacy for the Russian Presidency was denied by the authorities"

In other words translation of Mr. Kasyanov - "Hey Putin, you won't let me be president, well FUCK YOU!" Amazing. Talk about power corrupting people. Nope, I'm still sticking with Solzhenitsyn who said "Russia is very lucky to have Putin".
Apple September 15, 2008, 21:17: I like that Russia has a young but firm predsident, that is good, no doubts for me Russia is on the right way..
Sevodnya_Net September 14, 2008, 22:30: "(The Russian govt) completely did away with separation of powers and replaced it with the so-called power vertical. Since then, there's been no independent
parliament and no independent judicial system. Mass media have
practically all been taken under the control of the authorities or the
people close to them. Citizens lost their constitutional right to get
access to an independent point of view. The system of elections was
radically changed."

My words? Perhaps those of Marzipan6 or the other so-called "anti-Russians" who cause such a nuisance to so many of this forum's Kremlin apologists?
No, in fact the words of a Russian. No "ordinary" Russian either, but an ex-PM, and in fact an ex-PM under Putin, Mikhail Kasyanov. Up until 4 years ago Mr Kasyanov was Prime Minister of the RF - hard to believe, actually, now. The above quote is his answer to the question from a London Times journalist: "why did you change from being a prominent member of Putin's government to one of its most outspoken critics?"

Mr Kasyanov's recent candidacy for the Russian Presidency was denied by the authorities allegedly for forging signatures (this despite the fact that a co-candidate was able to raise 2,000,000 signatures unquestioned despite never before being able or since to gain 2,000,000 votes for his party never mind himself).
Mr K has other interesting things to say to the Times, notably that he believes that there is not majority support for the current regime, which he says deliberately paints a picture to the Russian people of an enemy "knocking at the gates" and of evil forces such as NATO and the US surrounding the country and "dreaming of its destruction".

You really don't need to consult the western "commentariat", as Peter Lavelle calls it, to get a chilling inside take on the true nature of the sinister board of faceless autocrats who run Russia at the current time - the most eloquent damnation comes from the horse's mouth, despite the attempts of the authorities to keep as many as possible of their "horses" in the stable under lock and key...
dragan September 5, 2008, 10:56: To Lord Adam

You are saying that in Germany there is around 8 % TURKS out of total population. Well, lets say you are correct with that although I know you are not. You are saying that they, and all other people of one country should speak the same language. If that is the correct reasoning then why that same country of Germany and especially USA and GB are forcing other nations to give that same right to their minority. Why ? German, USA and other Western regimes are smart enough to threaten Serbia with sanctions if it does not allow Hungarian 3%, Albanian 13%, even Slovak’s minority that is less then 1% of Serbian’s population universities in their languages.
I will tell you why they are doing that, and why I am suggesting to Russian government to keep pushing that question in regard to Western countries, especially USA.
Because, if you allow minority to speak and school itself in its own language, you are rupturing the population along the ethnic lines. And with that there is greater chance of that country being unstable and dismembered one day. That is why. And that is why I suggest to Russian government to use such a potent weapon especially against USA, because there there is 60 million Latinos who HATE to speak English and do not like USA all together. Someone just has to give them the direction at what to keep protesting against. And that would be the end of USA as we know it. The Russian government should start pushing that baton by which they would create so much problems to the USA regime, that they would never think of EVER creating the problems to Russia again.
Russian government officials should keep speaking out about that ALL THE TIME. They should remember that they have to keep repeating itself ALL THE TIME, ALWAYS if they are to be effective.
Lord Alan September 4, 2008, 21:10: The previous poster greatly exaggerates the number of Turks in Germany.

The total number of foreigners in Germany is less than ten per cent, which means less than eight million, of which a large portion are Turks.

In my view it is perfectly reasonable for the home country to expect every citizen to speak the national language to a good level. In Germany many foreigners cannot, even though they were born here.

This makes it difficult for them at school, difficult for the teachers and difficult for them to find a decent job later.

It is a challenge that all the states of Germany are aware of and are trying to overcome but with less money available for education than in the past this will not be easy.
dragan September 3, 2008, 18:47: It did not have to improve, it was always there. There was always freedom in Russia, the real one, not the fake one that exists in some western countries. Take look at one basic right that every people ( minority ) should have as granted - freedom of speaking and learning in their mother tongue -. That basic right is more then encouraged and supported by the Russian government for every minority on its territory. While in most of the Western Countries that basic right is not given to their minority. In the USA there is 60 million Latino people ( 20% of total population, in Germany there is 12 million Turkish people ( 15 % of total population), in France in some parts of it one would have hard time finding any French people all together, and so on. In none of these Western countries those huge minorities are given that basic right of learning schools and universities in their own language.

I hope that your forum is red by someone from Russian government, and I would advice them that they raise this question all the time, and especially whenever western regime officials attack Russia on so called breach of human rights in Russia.

What is more, I suggest to you RT to expend on this topic, and what is more important to keep writing about it ALL the time. Keep it always in the news, and especially about America’s LATINO MINORITY because it is so huge , 60 million people. Keep writing about it, because they are afraid of that more then of anything else.
David September 3, 2008, 09:59: Sevodnya_Net:
The only chickens that are coming home to roost are those in USA and England.
Robert September 2, 2008, 21:49: Great progress has been made in the area of personal security and President Medvedev has said that corruption will be a major focus of his administration so the future looks good. It has been heartening to see the recent prosecutions of racist skinheads in Moscow.
I note that duing the recent election campaign the oppositions felt happily free to criticize the government and captured over a third of the vote amongst them. If the oppositions lost the election it was because Dmitri Medvedev was not only a very attractive candidate in his own right but he was the beneficiary of a lot of good will earned by his predecessor over the preceding eight years. Having said that, I thought that it was a mistake to exclude other opposition groups such as the so-called National Bolsheviks from the ballot. They are a fairly loathsome lot but I believe that the voting public would have seen through them.
I also recommend that it would be better if certain oddball religious groups were simply ignored unless they are perceived to be inciting violence.
Andrey September 2, 2008, 16:22: Lets say NO for american democracy and say yes for european. I hope Russia is on the right way to Europe but of cause european democracy is not a perfect one and it needs to change too.. Please, let me know if you saw the best and most perfect one and I'll call a psychiatrist for you.. Mrs Novodvorskaya and Mr Kovalev do not respond me, we all know that this doctor is helpless to save you.. :)
Peace September 2, 2008, 11:41: TRUE DEMOCRACY is GOVERMENT RESPECTING all individuals...WHILE THERE IS PROGRESS BEING MADE IN RUSSIA, IT STILL IS A WORK IN PROGRESS.
maksim August 12, 2008, 11:37: I think Putin must stand firm against the Georgians and Americans. Russia must not waiver to those people. American is a hypocrite. Long live Putin, Long live Russia.