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Not to mention the constant, evidence-based accusations of widespread electoral fraud, and the UN veto being used to continue selling arms to Syria as long as p

Not to mention the constant, evidence-based accusations of widespread electoral fraud, and the UN veto being used to continue selling arms to Syria as long as possible...

pavs 13y ago
I am not going to hold the UN veto against Russia; USA has done much worse with their veto power over the years.
- scott_karana 13y ago
  Certainly agreed. I was only using that example as a reason why one might not "feel quite good in Russia".
1gor 13y ago
constant, evidence-based accusations of widespread electoral fraud There are conflicting views on that. Accusations of fraud are mostly aboutRussian parliament elections of 2011. Pro-Putin party was accused of fraud in many districts, which I personally think is correct. (But, strangely enough, Israeli foreign minister, has found those elections fair and democratic... http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/lieberman-russia-elections-were-fair-and-democratic-1.400189 http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/lieberman-russ...) On the other hand, most definetely Putin did not need any fraud to help him win presidential elections in 2012. He had an overwhelming support among common Russians. Forecasts by anti-Putin polling organisation Levada Centre promised him 63% of the vote (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_presidential_election,_2012#Election_forecasts http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_presidential_election,_...), and he indeed got 63.5%. His closest competitor (a communist) got 17%. To win elections fraudulently, Putin had to doctor close to half of the bulletins, which seems unlikely, given worldwide scrutiny of the election, and his own efforts to dispel doubts such as installing live webcams at every polling station etc. Tl;dr Putin won because he is popular, not because of the fraud.
- scott_karana 13y ago
  Thanks for clearing that up! :)

Not to mention the constant, evidence-based accusations of widespread electoral fraud, and the UN veto being used to continue selling arms to Syria as long as possible...

pavs 13y ago

I am not going to hold the UN veto against Russia; USA has done much worse with their veto power over the years.

scott_karana 13y ago
Certainly agreed. I was only using that example as a reason why one might not "feel quite good in Russia".

1gor 13y ago

constant, evidence-based accusations of widespread electoral fraud There are conflicting views on that. Accusations of fraud are mostly aboutRussian parliament elections of 2011. Pro-Putin party was accused of fraud in many districts, which I personally think is correct. (But, strangely enough, Israeli foreign minister, has found those elections fair and democratic... http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/lieberman-russia-elections-were-fair-and-democratic-1.400189 http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/lieberman-russ...) On the other hand, most definetely Putin did not need any fraud to help him win presidential elections in 2012. He had an overwhelming support among common Russians. Forecasts by anti-Putin polling organisation Levada Centre promised him 63% of the vote (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_presidential_election,_2012#Election_forecasts http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_presidential_election,_...), and he indeed got 63.5%. His closest competitor (a communist) got 17%. To win elections fraudulently, Putin had to doctor close to half of the bulletins, which seems unlikely, given worldwide scrutiny of the election, and his own efforts to dispel doubts such as installing live webcams at every polling station etc. Tl;dr Putin won because he is popular, not because of the fraud.

scott_karana 13y ago
Thanks for clearing that up! :)