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Being Russian citizen I find this critical position actually pro-Russian. It's in our interest to have a professional government and a president elected on tran

Being Russian citizen I find this critical position actually pro-Russian. It's in our interest to have a professional government and a president elected on transparent and free elections, to fight corruption and to work for the prosperity of our Homeland and for happiness of all our people. The government, the president, the courts and the deputees of parliament that do not satisfy these criteria can and shall be criticized by anyone who dares. And, by the way, these media do not criticize the Russian people. So, we are ok with that critics and sane people here are not humiliated by what others may call "lecturing from the West". In fact, we are proud that there's so much interest to the Russian politics, that we are treated as important part of the world and that we do matter. Moreover, such critics will not change anything in Russia, because Russian internal affairs are only our internal affairs. I'd say, they are for internal consumption in Germany and UK, and it's good - even western citizen enjoying the taste of democracy may fall to Putin's propaganda, so better keep fighting.

tomp 11y ago
> In fact, we are proud that there's so much interest to the Russian politics, that we are treated as important part of the world and that we do matter. The only reason Russia "matters" is that it's non-compliant to the Western interests. The only kind of "freely-elected" government that the West would approve of is one that would bend to its wishes. Take a look at Ukraine to see what happens to elected governments that don't.
- ivan_gammel 11y ago
  There are plenty of reasons why Russia matters, and non-compliance is not the one of them. To name few: nuclear weapons, vast natural resources (including fresh water), great cultural heritage. And quite good representation in tech, btw. The West is not a Satan, like some ayatollas would say, and Russia is not the Last Fortress standing against his armies. As for Ukraine, unfortunately it is the failed state, that is severely (almost deadly) damaged by corruption - it has nothing to do with Western or Russian interests, first of all it's the failure of Ukrainian people to get rid of crooks (just like the failure of Russian people to do the same), and only then there are the sides that would like to play with it.
  - wavefunction 11y ago
    I appreciate your perspective on your country and the world. I'm a USian but I agree with you and can't fault Russia for resisting the neoliberal/neoconservative Empire erected by the Western elites. Russians (and the rest of us?) are supposed to fall meekly into line in the world created by the likes of GWB, Victoria Nuland, Hillary Clinton, Dick Cheney and Rumsfeld, David Cameron and Merkl? No thanks.
usaphp 11y ago
Do you really believe that western media care a single bit about free elections in Russia? The only reason they care about it is because The position of Russia government does not match the western narrative.
- ivan_gammel 11y ago
  I did not say anything about my beliefs and it is not important WHY do they care about Russia. The only thing that is important, is the result - whether these critics are justified, whether they serve Russian interests or not. They do serve. If this was not someone's goal, shame on that guy, he failed. If it was, thanks to him, he did his job well.
  - tomp 11y ago
    > whether they serve Russian interests or not. They do serve. You're assuming that free elections would benefit common Russians. They wouldn't. You're right about one thing, though: it wouldn't be Putin and his cronies siphoning all of Russia's wealth (resourceful citizens, natural resources, ...). It would be the western conglomerates.
    - guard-of-terra 11y ago
      I do not know who "common Russians" are. However, I am Russian and I would like free elections, thank you.
      - usaphp 11y ago
        What makes you think that recent elections were not free? I am Russian and vast majority of people I know (like 90%) went to vote for Putin. I have one friend who was worried about elections not being free since he was voting for Prokhorov and really disliked Putin, so he signed up as an independent observer at one of the St.Petersburg voting booths, and he was shocked when he saw the amount of people that came to vote for Putin, he said it was like 9/10 people were voting for Putin after they counted vote papers, and he said there was no way to fake those votes at least at his booth. For some reason individuals in Russia think that if the candidate they were voting for did not win the elections - it means the elections were not free and somehow fake, but you have to understand that there are a vast majority of people in Russia who thought that Putin is a better candidate compared to Prokhorov and others
bungle 11y ago
> It's in our interest to have a professional government and a president elected on transparent and free elections I think everyone has been looking forward for this to happen for hundreds of years. Nothing has happened. It's still land of kleptocrazy (let's not start arguing that there are other equally bad players as well). And even to this day, Russians seem to be like: "there is nothing we can do". And Putin is more popular than ever. Take this as a critizism for Russian people. You have allowed such a bad leaders run to your country. Russians I have met, talk more about leaving the country.
- bungle 11y ago
  And to reply to myself: Now that we have the leaks, look what is happening in Iceland and compare that to what is happening in Russia. In Iceland people are demanding their prime minister to resign. In Russia, people think that this is an attack from the west.

tomp 11y ago

> In fact, we are proud that there's so much interest to the Russian politics, that we are treated as important part of the world and that we do matter. The only reason Russia "matters" is that it's non-compliant to the Western interests. The only kind of "freely-elected" government that the West would approve of is one that would bend to its wishes. Take a look at Ukraine to see what happens to elected governments that don't.

ivan_gammel 11y ago
There are plenty of reasons why Russia matters, and non-compliance is not the one of them. To name few: nuclear weapons, vast natural resources (including fresh water), great cultural heritage. And quite good representation in tech, btw. The West is not a Satan, like some ayatollas would say, and Russia is not the Last Fortress standing against his armies. As for Ukraine, unfortunately it is the failed state, that is severely (almost deadly) damaged by corruption - it has nothing to do with Western or Russian interests, first of all it's the failure of Ukrainian people to get rid of crooks (just like the failure of Russian people to do the same), and only then there are the sides that would like to play with it.
- wavefunction 11y ago
  I appreciate your perspective on your country and the world. I'm a USian but I agree with you and can't fault Russia for resisting the neoliberal/neoconservative Empire erected by the Western elites. Russians (and the rest of us?) are supposed to fall meekly into line in the world created by the likes of GWB, Victoria Nuland, Hillary Clinton, Dick Cheney and Rumsfeld, David Cameron and Merkl? No thanks.

usaphp 11y ago

Do you really believe that western media care a single bit about free elections in Russia? The only reason they care about it is because The position of Russia government does not match the western narrative.

ivan_gammel 11y ago
I did not say anything about my beliefs and it is not important WHY do they care about Russia. The only thing that is important, is the result - whether these critics are justified, whether they serve Russian interests or not. They do serve. If this was not someone's goal, shame on that guy, he failed. If it was, thanks to him, he did his job well.
- tomp 11y ago
  > whether they serve Russian interests or not. They do serve. You're assuming that free elections would benefit common Russians. They wouldn't. You're right about one thing, though: it wouldn't be Putin and his cronies siphoning all of Russia's wealth (resourceful citizens, natural resources, ...). It would be the western conglomerates.
  - guard-of-terra 11y ago
    I do not know who "common Russians" are. However, I am Russian and I would like free elections, thank you.
    - usaphp 11y ago
      What makes you think that recent elections were not free? I am Russian and vast majority of people I know (like 90%) went to vote for Putin. I have one friend who was worried about elections not being free since he was voting for Prokhorov and really disliked Putin, so he signed up as an independent observer at one of the St.Petersburg voting booths, and he was shocked when he saw the amount of people that came to vote for Putin, he said it was like 9/10 people were voting for Putin after they counted vote papers, and he said there was no way to fake those votes at least at his booth. For some reason individuals in Russia think that if the candidate they were voting for did not win the elections - it means the elections were not free and somehow fake, but you have to understand that there are a vast majority of people in Russia who thought that Putin is a better candidate compared to Prokhorov and others

bungle 11y ago

> It's in our interest to have a professional government and a president elected on transparent and free elections I think everyone has been looking forward for this to happen for hundreds of years. Nothing has happened. It's still land of kleptocrazy (let's not start arguing that there are other equally bad players as well). And even to this day, Russians seem to be like: "there is nothing we can do". And Putin is more popular than ever. Take this as a critizism for Russian people. You have allowed such a bad leaders run to your country. Russians I have met, talk more about leaving the country.

bungle 11y ago
And to reply to myself: Now that we have the leaks, look what is happening in Iceland and compare that to what is happening in Russia. In Iceland people are demanding their prime minister to resign. In Russia, people think that this is an attack from the west.