@Nisse_Hult
So, I see you know the history. Respectful trait.
Then, there is no denial Clinton supported Eltzin. Known, proven, clear and open.
But claims of US intelligence agencies about "russian meddling", I point to you, can be fabricated. Majority of information is classified, rest looks practically weak, if we take out the confidence and trust people have towards organisations of one single country saying same thing. Organisations made for espionage, investigation, and defending interests of state that owns them, not always in a just and honest ways. So, why am I supposed to trust CIA, or FBI? Organisations labelling my country and people as "enemy" and provoking rest of their country to take hostile actions against mine?
If we speak in serious manner - scandal around "russian meddling" is getting constantly inflated, and used as leverage to put pressure on specific politicians and replace them, to instigate additional economic and political sanctions against individuals AND enterprises of my country, including corporations, banks, and infrastructure services - all things important for healthy economy. It allows to make accusations towards few of our enterpises active on international market, thus cutting our economic ties with rest of the world and possibilities of our economy recovering from crisis we are in since early 2014.
That scandal gave USA opportunity to revive image of external enemy, and to excuse constant political agression and supression of my country. You claim that this goes along with interest of Putin... One man. One politician, even if influential. He is not all-powerful, and he has his restrictions. Behind him is a giant "United Russia" political party, full of people with their own interests. People of all ages, people who certainly do not plan retiring any time soon, people who hardly fond of idea of open and direct confrontation with any other influential country. And you assume that all that giant system of bureaucrats has nothing to do but to "sow discontent" and "weaken democracy".
This is a treatment of a "boogieman", no sane politician would be deliberately trying to undermine image of democracy. And "authoritarian criminal" who, trust you me, stole his portion of statebudget, is still depending on democracy. Depending on good international relationships, and on satisfaction of political party backing him up. This is not 2004, Putin is not a some sort of rising political superstar. From how things going so far it seems he will not be even participating in elections next year...
So I highly doubt this discontent comes from Putin and his administration. I highly doubt that people's distrust towards how democracy works comes from "an evil plot of evil authoritarians". Every country has corrupted politicians, every country has those who are actually ready to go for a crime to save their priviliged places in state administration. In every country there can be always found overlooked or opressed minority, being it ethnic or social. In every country happen unfair, unjust things. Issued unfair laws, or made inefficient decidions.
This is how democracy works - people grow discontent with things, and they express this discontent. They *tell* when they do not like something, for one or other reason, and they have to be heard. When they are ignored or repressed - they usually start taking various actions - changing their votes, gathering rallies, even rioting. It happens in healthy democracy, it is normal. It is a sign of politicians being not good enough, putting not enough effort in their work, not fulfilling their electoral promises and comitting acts of corruption. And it is a sign of people not being passive towards that.
And when that happens - competing politicians use such issues to gain popularity and get into office, if they can. So trust me - all the problems of so called "western" countries are coming from them selves. Inefficient policies, wrong decidions, disappointing outcomes - all do happen, and you do not need a "big evil empire" for people to be angry about that. Otherwise Eltzin would've stood on that tank alone, making a speech to an empty street.
27
@Nisse_Hult
So, I see you know the history. Respectful trait.
Then, there is no denial Clinton supported Eltzin. Known, proven, clear and open.
But claims of US intelligence agencies about "russian meddling", I point to you, can be fabricated. Majority of information is classified, rest looks practically weak, if we take out the confidence and trust people have towards organisations of one single country saying same thing. Organisations made for espionage, investigation, and defending interests of state that owns them, not always in a just and honest ways. So, why am I supposed to trust CIA, or FBI? Organisations labelling my country and people as "enemy" and provoking rest of their country to take hostile actions against mine?
If we speak in serious manner - scandal around "russian meddling" is getting constantly inflated, and used as leverage to put pressure on specific politicians and replace them, to instigate additional economic and political sanctions against individuals AND enterprises of my country, including corporations, banks, and infrastructure services - all things important for healthy economy. It allows to make accusations towards few of our enterpises active on international market, thus cutting our economic ties with rest of the world and possibilities of our economy recovering from crisis we are in since early 2014.
That scandal gave USA opportunity to revive image of external enemy, and to excuse constant political agression and supression of my country. You claim that this goes along with interest of Putin... One man. One politician, even if influential. He is not all-powerful, and he has his restrictions. Behind him is a giant "United Russia" political party, full of people with their own interests. People of all ages, people who certainly do not plan retiring any time soon, people who hardly fond of idea of open and direct confrontation with any other influential country. And you assume that all that giant system of bureaucrats has nothing to do but to "sow discontent" and "weaken democracy".
This is a treatment of a "boogieman", no sane politician would be deliberately trying to undermine image of democracy. And "authoritarian criminal" who, trust you me, stole his portion of statebudget, is still depending on democracy. Depending on good international relationships, and on satisfaction of political party backing him up. This is not 2004, Putin is not a some sort of rising political superstar. From how things going so far it seems he will not be even participating in elections next year...
So I highly doubt this discontent comes from Putin and his administration. I highly doubt that people's distrust towards how democracy works comes from "an evil plot of evil authoritarians". Every country has corrupted politicians, every country has those who are actually ready to go for a crime to save their priviliged places in state administration. In every country there can be always found overlooked or opressed minority, being it ethnic or social. In every country happen unfair, unjust things. Issued unfair laws, or made inefficient decidions.
This is how democracy works - people grow discontent with things, and they express this discontent. They *tell* when they do not like something, for one or other reason, and they have to be heard. When they are ignored or repressed - they usually start taking various actions - changing their votes, gathering rallies, even rioting. It happens in healthy democracy, it is normal. It is a sign of politicians being not good enough, putting not enough effort in their work, not fulfilling their electoral promises and comitting acts of corruption. And it is a sign of people not being passive towards that.
And when that happens - competing politicians use such issues to gain popularity and get into office, if they can. So trust me - all the problems of so called "western" countries are coming from them selves. Inefficient policies, wrong decidions, disappointing outcomes - all do happen, and you do not need a "big evil empire" for people to be angry about that. Otherwise Eltzin would've stood on that tank alone, making a speech to an empty street.