Comments on: Is Mikhail Kasyanov the Latest Putin Victim?

By: tt

tt — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 16:22:37 +0000

Jb:
Your comment about Khodorkovsky is absolutely rubbish. He never was a KGB man(as most in Putins close circle are,all very rich)he just was a young and eager businessman to reach prosperity for himself and his country. He is a prisoner of the regime! How has Gazprom become that big, only by taking over businesses, like Yukos. A good politician has no time to run big Business, that what Putin should let those well capable individuals doing. But no, he wants to control the country, people lives and their money. He finds the way to accuse his own citizens,if they no longer agree with his politics to kill or disappear in any prison. If Mr.Putin wants your house or your wife, you just have to say please be my guest here it is. He takes what he wants anyhow. If you dont agree than you better watch out. Ex Senator Mr. Izmestiev is still one of the living? example for this. First his house,than his local and foreign business. He is a political prisoner almost like a private prisoner of Mr.Putin. I was told that his case is so hot involving names, that no one will want to defend him or have to do with the case because it is dangerous for everybody. So, what secrets are about this man that he so violently abusing humanrights for his citizens using this KGB style.How many are locked away so they are silenced and will pass away slowly in one of those overpopulated prisons?

By: David W. Lincoln

David W. Lincoln — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 04:11:03 +0000

Lets see. Putin has only one card to play, and that is to keep the price of oil high.

Problem: a weakening US economy means less demand for oil, ergo a lower price.

So, given that Russia can influence the US economy to a small extent, Vladi the impaler is busy on other fronts to make sure the gravy train continues to run for those on his good side – and anyone who does not stay on his good side finds out in a hurry how cold it gets in Siberia.

By: Concerned Citizen

Concerned Citizen — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 00:26:07 +0000

JB: You missed the point completely. It’s not about Kasyanov or Khodorkovsky. It’s about what Putin is doing to the last little bits of democracy in Russia by going after them. If you allow the Kremlin to keep diverting the conversation into the imperfections of its enemies (large as those imperfections may sometimes be), the siloviki will keep using this as an excuse to destroy every law, institution, procedure, practice, etc. that democracy needs to survive and improve.

Your implication that (”probable”) thieves, murderers and scumbags are not entitled to due process — that we should all look the other way when they prosecuted on trumped-up charges — is NOT HELPFUL.

By: Kim Zigfeld

Kim Zigfeld — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 21:58:54 +0000

JB:

Don’t forget that, as noted in the article, Vladimir Putin himself named Kasyanov to his position as prime minister, which he then held for quite some time, losing it only when he began to criticize Putin’s actions against Khodorkovsky. So it’s a bit difficult to say he’s dirty, that is unless Putin is too. Even if he is, why did Putin allow him to remain dirty right up until he sought the presidency?

And don’t forget that Kasyanov isn’t the only one who’s been excluded. ALL the other opposition candidates have also been forced off the ballot. Just coincidence? Rather hard to swallow.

Meanwhile, the latest development in this story is that the Kremlin has filed challenges to the income declarations of every single candidate it did allow to enter the race (those that don’t question Putin’s policies) except for Mr. Medvedev, Putin’s handpicked successor — who claims an income of just $70K per year although he runs Gazprom, one of the world’s largest energy concerns.

http://www.theotherrussia.org/2008/01/31/electoral-body-challenges-candidate%e2%80%99s-income-declarations/

By: Brian H

Brian H — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 18:01:34 +0000

[That would be "too careful".]

So, it’s all the old “nekulturny” inferiority complex?

Is all this tyrannizing just a tempest in a teapot before Russia hits the Slavic demographic brick wall and the Islamists take over? And/or will the Slavs try to take the rest of us with them?

By: jb

jb — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 09:08:44 +0000

Look, there are a lot of stories to write on Russia, but why the constant eulogies of thugs and criminals? Just because Putin doesn’t like them doesn’t mean they are good guys. Kasyanov of the liberal reformer, give me a break. This is the guy who was known as ‘Misha 2%’ because that was his personal cut of any deal that required government involvement.

As for Khodorkovsky, the tax charges against Yukos may have been trumped up, but he was still a thief and most probably a murderer.

You’ll write a better article if you remember all these people are scumbags, this is not good against evil.