Sleazy Putin

Sleazy is the perfect word for an op-ed in the NYT today, allegedly written by Vlad Putin hisself. I won't run it down here. Russia is trying to sound more sensible than Obama; that's it in a nutshell. But I think it's amusing that the op-ed ends with this sentence:

We are all different, but when we ask for the Lord’s blessings, we must not forget that God created us equal. 

Are you roaring with laughter? You should be.

Skip the 2014 Winter Olympics

LGBT Russians are pushing for a boycott of the Winter Olympics, to be held in Sochi in 2014. Given Putin's incredible hostility to gay people, and the draconian anti-gay laws he's passing, the Olympics will not be safe for gay athletes.

I hope this catches on. Certainly I suggest you try to dissuade friends from traveling to Russia to see the games. And no one should watch them on TV. Actually, I hope they're cancelled. I could see the EU forbidding athletes to attend because of the anti-gay threat posed by fearless leader Boris Badenov Vladimir Putin.

And as far as disappointing the athletes, there's a good chance that Putin would steal their medals anyway. So really, why go?

Hat tip to Joe Jervis.

Russia is lost

Russia is "becoming a 'bona fide' dictatorship". That's the headline at Der Spiegel. I'd argue with their use of the word "becoming". It's already happened. Here's an excerpt from the article:

Russia continued its series of raids on non-governmental organizations on Wednesday with visits to Human Rights Watch and Transparency International. The operation, say German commentators, is just the latest sign that Russian civil society is eroding and President Putin is turning into a dictator.

Turning into? The man is and always has been a dictator. It's just that people are noticing now that he's amped up the process. The country is gone. Again.

Russia: going, going...gone?

There's a sad article in the New York Times about Russia's return to its authoritarian past. Putin is back in power, which means jackboots, truncheons and detentions for dissenters.

Here is a longish excerpt from the article:

  When testimony began in the trial of the activists from Pussy Riot, Mr. Terekhov served tea as his workers watched prosecutors request seven-year sentences for three women who had lip-synced a crude anti-Putin song at an Orthodox cathedral. The judge ultimately sentenced each to two years (one was released early).

  He described the atmosphere in the room as one of “black humor, like sarcasm. Laughter through tears.”

  ...“From the point of view of international PR, if earlier Russia was associated with balalaika-matryoshka-caviar-Gorbachev-perestroika, now of course we have to add Pussy Riot,” Mr. Terekhov said, his distaste apparent. “Balalaikas, bears — they were fun. They were something you could joke about. But this is some sort of marvel from the Middle Ages.”

Russia is slipping into a dictatorial nightmare. Observing this from elsewhere is painful -- I can't imagine what it's like to actually live through it. Without freedom, life is a sham. I wish the Russian people well. Their situation is a tough one.

The Russian church-state nightmare

Chills went up my spine as I read this NYT article about the collapsing line between church and state in Russia. That something like this can happen in the year 2012 is shocking. But humanity's nonsensical craving for an authoritarian god will always come to this -- unless rational people guard against it (ahem) religiously.

Alas, in Russia it seems two megalomaniacs have come together in a most unholy way: Putin and his "spiritual father". Seriously, read this and worry. It can happen anywhere, even here in the U.S. In fact, we have GOP loons aiming for this very thing: a communion between government and religion. Shudder.

Bad juju in Russia

No civilized society can have anti-blasphemy laws. The two cannot coexist. It's literally impossible. Russia doesn't seem to know this, or rather, is hell-bent on establishing a theocratic government to stifle all dissent. (Hat tip to Ed Brayton.)

Nilov said a proposed amendment would introduce criminal responsibility for offences against religious beliefs and feelings and impose a jail term of up to three years.

Putin, in recent comments on Pussy Riot, the global protests over the video “The Innocence of Muslims” and the killings of Islamic leaders in Russia, has said that extremists were trying to tear Russia apart and that the feelings of the faithful must be protected by the state.

Putin has always seen himself as a dictator. Now he's bringing this fantasy to life. I pity the Russians if this comes to pass.

Is a Russian theocracy on the way?

In America, there are powerful political forces hoping that a Christian theocracy will replace our democracy. If you don't follow these devious folks on a regular basis, you may think this sounds crazy -- but I assure you, it's not. All you need is an incurious, ignorant, religious population and a set of manipulative, soulless, authoritarian leaders who use Jesus as a banner to pull in the gullible (and empty their pockets). Unfortunately, that's a pretty accurate description of the United States at this very moment. And that means the theocrats could take over.

Apparently, this is what's happening in Putin's Russia. Punk Band Feels Wrath of a Sterner Kremlin is the headline of a NY Times story about a female punk-rock band in Russia. Group members have been jailed for over six months -- for a damn performance. They're being prosecuted for what could be described as in-your-face political protest. But this isn't just about politics; it's about religion. These young women made fun of all sorts of things and now they're facing an absurdly hard-line reaction from the government. You really must read the article to hear the frightening voices of the Russian Orthodox Taliban. They want to take over and they will -- unless the Russian people rebel.

Here's an excerpt:

“Most of the population now are not so much talking about what Pussy Riot did as much as their fear that these people who want to introduce some kind of Orthodox Taliban to Russia, that they will take power,” Mr. Guelman said. “So now I think the authorities are making a big mistake, taking revenge in this way. Society will not support this."

I hope Mr. Guelman is right. These people always want to take over and they must be fought at every turn. If they win, science and truth will be snuffed out and replaced by harsh religious laws. I send my best wishes to the Russian people. We are fighting our own, ignorant religious hordes here in the United States. Fight well, my friends. If you give religious authoritarians an inch, they will take a mile.