A few days ago I blogged about how many problems involving the Russian government are requiring some strange solutions. A few more examples come to mind...
Problem - Russia says your country's meat is unsafe and bans its import.
Solution - Prevent the US from installing a missile defense system in your country, and the inspectors instantly declare your meat fit for consumption by Russians.
Problem - You want to see a pluralistic democracy in your country. This does not correspond to the vision the Kremlin has.
Solution - They draft you into the army, even though you've gone through reserve officer training in college and aren't eligible for the draft.
Anyone want to contribute?
Problem: The British Council is a nest of spies, and violating Russian business law besides.
Solution: Britain gives up the idea of extraditing a murderer from Russia who happens to now also hold a seat in its parliament, and spying/law breaking is suddenly no big deal. Hand over Berezovsky, and the Kremlin will let them hold their spy meetings . . . in the Kremlin!
All here is a real provocation against Russia and a brain-washing, made by those who has seen Russia & Russian people only from that CIA-CNN blab la TV or from baby cartoons. My friends, we let such people rule over our minds in such a false way.
All those horror stories about 1) Russian military machine, 2) Russian violation of human right, 3) dangerous politics of Mr. Putin, etc. they are made with a aim to distract our attention from the same and even bigger problems in USA. Let us make a rough comparison of some things. To 1) the US expenditures for military forces are 10 (!!!) times bigger. Attacking countries we (USA) use fake stories and our propaganda, e.g. for attacking Vietnam we used a provocation made by CIA who said that Vietnam people attacked our military ships – THAT WAS LIES. Attacking Iraq our clever guys from CIA convinced the whole world that Iraq has weapons of mass distraction – THAT WAS LIES. Who is interested in all this, our modern history knows a dozen of such ugly fact-examples making me sad for US history. To 2) In the world competition of the violation of human rights US government is a world champion for many decades: think of signs in 60ies:”for whites only”, imprisoned people in Guantanamo Bay torched without any right for a legal court; there are thousand of such examples and all of them are not just single cases, but measures implemented by our (US) government. To 3) Mr. Putin did not begin a war against Afghanistan, Iraq and he does not want any war against Iran. Mr. Putin did not begin a war in Chechnya but he finished it. Such people like Mr. Robert Amsterdam they use common and rhetorical statements like Putin’s politics is dangerous, but it not cleared in what way? For whom? And why?
Honestly, I feel pity and even somewhat sympathy to such kind of people like Mr. Robert Amsterdam – they are like infant babies or invalid people who shall be cured correspondently. Reading that entire staff without questioning it, we become like zombies and it is a real sign for a nation’s degradation, my friends.
Well, who can but be convinced by sparkling, erudite analysis like that? I for one have seen the error of my ways and am going to send a letter of apology to Mr. Putin which will include a plea that he admit me to a Russian psychiatric facility for reeducation. Perhaps Mr. Amsterdam will join me on this sojourn to the light?
What does the United States have to do with Putin's authoritarian abuses and political prisoners? It seems quite off topic.
Furthermore, as an international lawyer dedicated to the rule of law, Amsterdam has repeatedly expressed extraordinarily strong opposition to the situation at Guantanamo, and even works closely with one of the lawyers from the Hamdam case.
It's time to start imagining a world in which one can be a critic of both the governments of the United States and Russia.
At any rate, I don't think personal attacks really help advance your arguments.