I'm not specifically thinking of their listing on the Wikipedia page, but the ongoing fight with Greenpeace with armed troops in international waters, then dragging them to Russia and trying them under their dubious legal system. The same methods (violence and the legal system) could be said of anyone who goes up against either the Russian state whether Russian or foreign (musicians, opposing politicians, journalists, oligarchs out of favour, and not environmentalists). Okay, so it's a long way from the days of Stalinism, but they claim to be a democracy, and this is clearly laughable.:woo: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/dec/01/wikileaks-cables-russia-mafia-kleptocracy http://www.theguardian.com/world/20...lbarn-greenpeace-protest?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487 http://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/oct/02/basel-shalke-greenpeace-champions-league
Proud of my russian blood. Video removed. If you have nothing to add to the discussion, refrain from just spamming with video clips.
They are obviously not a real democracy seeing how long Putin has been in power. All I know is I wouldn't want to get arrested in Russia.
I should declare an interest. I am a member of Greenpeace, though I could foresee this clash with the Russians would end badly, though not as badly as the Gaza flotilla it could easily have been even worse. As a student I had a strong interest in Russia, writing my dissertation on the post-Stalin economy., just as Gorbachev stepped down so it's sad to see a continuation of such authoritarian methods
As opposed to the USA, which is a shining example of justice and rightness, and efficient government?
How so? If the precedent of term limits for POTUS had never been set in the US in the 1790s (started by Washington), presidents could be reelected for life. Congressmen already do this. It's typical for a legislator to spend 20-30 years as a professional parasite on the public dole.
If you mean that anti-nuclear non-violent peace protester Nun in her 80s they might be putting away for 30 years you could be right. I'm reading a book on a well known German protest group but it has several chapters on the growth of the anti-nuclear movement in the 70s/80s and the parallels with non-violent/violent protest, and from it the establishment of the Greens
Plenty of countries have career politicians, a lot of our MPs in the House of Commons hold the seat for more than two terms, but really (apart from the odd Committee post or Cabinet office) most of them have very little power compared to the Prime Minister or President. Other countries like Italy are on this list because they have people at the top who just never go away, even if there are limitations on the highest office.
