"Liberties, logic suffer in Vladimir Putin’s Russia; Enforceable or not, restrictions rising as president’s popularity soars" by David Filipov | Globe Staff July 09, 2014
I've already got a wrong feeling about this article.
I've already got a wrong feeling about this article.
MOSCOW — They’ve banned some synthetic lace lingerie, and now they’re taking aim at high-heel shoes. They’ve made it unlawful to use foul language on stage, and they’re mulling a ban on mixing foreign words into Russian sentences. Protesting in the streets can get you five years in prison; so can sending certain retweets.
Russian leaders have drastically ramped up their crackdown on freedom of expression in recent weeks, with an avalanche of restrictions on what people can do, wear, say, and where they can do it. The measures are in turns sinister, xenophobic, patently unenforceable, and absurd.
Many of the restrictions tighten the grip of Vladimir Putin and coincide with a spike in his approval rating, which hit a six-year high of 86 percent in late June. Pollsters attribute the increase to a wave of national pride following his annexation of Crimea in March, and his tough stance in support of pro-Russia separatists in Ukraine.
Bolstered by that popular support, Putin and his parliament have ignored the protestations of Russia’s increasingly embattled opposition, whom the president has dismissed as “a fifth column.” Already in control of print and broadcast media, authorities in recent weeks have sped up efforts to control the Internet, blocking, co-opting, or shutting down websites with content critical of the president amid the growing sense of mistrust of the Internet, which Putin recently described as a “CIA project.”
Or NSA, same thing.
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It's all a joke to the Globe, which is oddly what they have become.
No Ukraine that day? Or the day after? Or the day after?
"More dislike Russia after annexation, poll shows" by Marjorie Connelly | New York Times July 10, 2014
NEW YORK — Following its intervention in Ukraine and annexation of Crimea, Russia is widely disliked in Europe, the Middle East, and the United States, according to a Pew Global Attitudes poll released Wednesday.
Not an annexation, but why quibble over New York Times distortions and lies anymore? Just accept it as a given and move on.
The leadership of President Vladimir Putin inspires little confidence, the survey found. And while most Russians think Putin will do the right thing in international affairs, few people in the other countries surveyed have faith in him.
The negative views of Americans and Europeans have become particularly pronounced toward Russia over the past year, rising by double digits in many countries. In Poland, for example, 81 percent of those surveyed had an unfavorable opinion of Russia, compared with 54 percent in 2013.
The British were evenly divided about Russia in 2013: 38 percent had a favorable opinion and 39 percent were unfavorable. Now, only 25 percent had a positive view of Russia, while 63 percent had a negative view. Greece was the only European country where opinions were basically unchanged.
Ukrainians’ attitudes toward Russia have changed significantly. In 2011, more than 8 in 10 Ukrainians had a favorable opinion of Russia. Now only 35 percent of respondents have a positive view.
Russia is also increasingly disliked in Latin America.
Related:
Several countries to create own version of IMF
Russia eases Cuba debt burden
Russia to reopen spy base in Cuba
Yeah, they are really, really unpopular down there!
NEXT DAY UPDATE:
"The availability of more development assistance for the world’s neediest countries is to be applauded — and could also prod the world’s rich nations to do more."
It would be asking too much for the NYT to change after all these years. The fact that they continue to live in a world of self-deluded denial and continue to throw the same rank rot out as they have always done is downright discouraging.
Judge them not, for they know not what to do!
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Readers, that load of mile-high steaming stink s**t is beneath a response.
And the NYT wonders why it has a problem?
Six Zionist Companies Own 96% of the World's Media
Declassified: Massive Israeli manipulation of US media exposed
Operation Mockingbird
Why Am I No Longer Reading the Newspaper?
Honestly, I hope you can understand why the coverage is hitting a sour note with me.
"More dislike Russia after annexation, poll shows" by Marjorie Connelly | New York Times July 10, 2014
NEW YORK — Following its intervention in Ukraine and annexation of Crimea, Russia is widely disliked in Europe, the Middle East, and the United States, according to a Pew Global Attitudes poll released Wednesday.
Not an annexation, but why quibble over New York Times distortions and lies anymore? Just accept it as a given and move on.
The leadership of President Vladimir Putin inspires little confidence, the survey found. And while most Russians think Putin will do the right thing in international affairs, few people in the other countries surveyed have faith in him.
The negative views of Americans and Europeans have become particularly pronounced toward Russia over the past year, rising by double digits in many countries. In Poland, for example, 81 percent of those surveyed had an unfavorable opinion of Russia, compared with 54 percent in 2013.
The British were evenly divided about Russia in 2013: 38 percent had a favorable opinion and 39 percent were unfavorable. Now, only 25 percent had a positive view of Russia, while 63 percent had a negative view. Greece was the only European country where opinions were basically unchanged.
Ukrainians’ attitudes toward Russia have changed significantly. In 2011, more than 8 in 10 Ukrainians had a favorable opinion of Russia. Now only 35 percent of respondents have a positive view.
Russia is also increasingly disliked in Latin America.
Related:
Several countries to create own version of IMF
Russia eases Cuba debt burden
Russia to reopen spy base in Cuba
Yeah, they are really, really unpopular down there!
NEXT DAY UPDATE:
"The availability of more development assistance for the world’s neediest countries is to be applauded — and could also prod the world’s rich nations to do more."
It would be asking too much for the NYT to change after all these years. The fact that they continue to live in a world of self-deluded denial and continue to throw the same rank rot out as they have always done is downright discouraging.
Judge them not, for they know not what to do!
--more--"
Readers, that load of mile-high steaming stink s**t is beneath a response.
And the NYT wonders why it has a problem?
Six Zionist Companies Own 96% of the World's Media
Declassified: Massive Israeli manipulation of US media exposed
Operation Mockingbird
Why Am I No Longer Reading the Newspaper?
Honestly, I hope you can understand why the coverage is hitting a sour note with me.
Thousands flee Ukraine as truce ends
They are fleeing into Russia.
Ukraine’s president signs trade pact with EU; Rejection of deal by predecessor sparked upheaval" by Andrew Higgins and David M. Herszenhorn | New York Times
See: New York Times Nostalgic For Cold War
It shows!
Pro-Russian insurgents free second team of observers
They gave back agent provocateurs and spies as a peace gesture.
Ukraine consults leaders in Europe
Getting their marching orders.
Ukraine ends unilateral cease-fire
As cease-fire comes to an end, violence surges in Ukraine; Both sides are getting ready for long-term fight" by Michael Birnbaum | Washington Post
Related: The Washington Post Wants War With Russia
I hope you can see why I stopped reading it.
I don't trust anything I'm seeing in my Boston Globe. Sorry.
Foreign ministers forge path to resume Ukraine cease-fire
I never take peace talk seriously in a war paper. Sorry.
Ukraine’s president shakes up military
The war is not going well!
Troops in Ukraine strike back at rebels; Putin pushes truce
That Putin!
Losing ground, Ukraine rebels flee stronghold" by David M. Herszenhorn | New York Times
Andrei Purgin, an insurgent leader, told the Interfax news service the rebels had abandoned the city because they were overwhelmed militarily. “What would you do if you were shelled with mortars and artillery guns and pounded from the air, and you had only three tanks and assault rifles?” asked Purgin, deputy prime minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, one of two separatist shadow governments in the east. “The Ukrainian security forces, in fact, tried to raze Slovyansk to the ground.”
But they are the US-supported good guys, so it's okay.
Ousted from key outpost, Ukraine rebels regroup in Donetsk
President Petro Poroshenko said purging the city of the insurgents had ‘‘incredible symbolic importance.’’ At one money-exchange office in the city center, about 20 rebels lined up to trade US dollars for Ukrainian hryvnas. The dollar is considered a more stable currency in Ukraine and Russia, but it was not known who had given them to the rebels. They refused to speak with a reporter.
Yeah, the ethnic cleansing sure is symbolic. I find it a laugh that the Ukrainians are dumping dollars, too, although one wonders where they got them. Remember the flat-bed trucks with stacks of cash the U.S. roiled into Iraq?
Key access bridges in Ukraine destroyed
Ukrainian leader vows vengeance after deadly attack
Civilians blame Ukraine military for deadly blast" by Sabrina Tavernise | New York Times
I believe the Eastern Ukrainians, not the New York Times.
Ukraine batters rebel-held city
Putin met with Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany in Brazil, where they are attending the World Cup final, and discussed the Ukraine crisis while relations between Ukraine and Russia fell to a new low. On Sunday, a Russian citizen was killed on Russian soil by what the Russian government said was an errant Ukrainian shell. Ukraine denied firing a shell into Russian territory. Ukraine has been hitting rebel positions for days and has gained considerable ground in areas south and west of the city of Luhansk.
But they don't like Putin down there, and he's not taking the provocative bait as it were.
Ukraine military plane shot down by rocket
Apparently the Ukraine military has taken back about half of the east, or so I am told. We're winning!
Airstrike in eastern Ukraine kills 11 civilians
I don't know about you, but it looks to me like the NATO powers are losing this one despite the airstrikes murdering civilians -- or maybe because of it, huh?
Also see: Eduard Shevardnadze, at 86; ex-Georgian president
Another area the in which the U.S. has mucked around.
Good thing Russia is so weak, huh?
NEXT DAY UPDATES:
Before continuing with today's slop I wanted to note that the NYT did not ask how AmeriKa was viewed in their steam-stink poll.
On to today's filth that fills what we call a newspaper over here:
"Improper wire installation blamed in Russia rail crash" by Andrew E. Kramer | New York Times July 17, 2014
(Blog editor lets loose an exasperated sigh)
MOSCOW — The snapping of one small, improperly installed wire caused a Moscow subway crash that killed 22 people, investigators said Wednesday. Police arrested a track foreman and an assistant.
A new subway line is under construction near the crash site. When workers installed a switch that will connect the new tracks to the existing line, instead of securing the switch properly, they held it in place with a piece of wire 3 millimeters wide, according to a statement by the Investigative Committee, a Russian law enforcement organization. The wire broke, causing the accident this week, the statement said.
It sounds pretty flimsy to me, but if that is what the Russian government has to say, okay.
What is incredibly sad to me at this stage of my life is I am more prone to believe them than my own government and its mouthpiece media.
Valery Bashkatov and Yuri Gordov were detained. Authorities are preparing unspecified charges against the two. Investigators are examining whether the contracting company that employed the men was licensed to work in the subway tunnels.
It was unclear whether workmen crimped the switch in place with wire to cut corners and save money, because they did not have the appropriate fasteners, or simply as a temporary measure.
Sounds all-too-familiar to this American. All I have to do is look around me or in a Globe to see evidence of it here.
The Investigative Committee said Wednesday that the death toll had risen to 22. An additional 136 people were hospitalized, some with grave injuries.
Then the death toll will rise.
The derailing has become the grim talk of the Russian capital. About half of all Moscow commuters ride the subway to work, and there are widespread complaints about overcrowding. The mayor, Sergei S. Sobyanin, has made the system’s expansion central to his transportation policy.
Also touching a nerve for the Russians was the suggestion of a cavalier attitude about safety, a fatalistic view — maybe that wire will hold, or maybe it won’t — that runs deep in this country’s culture, and that many Russians recognize all too well in themselves.
Maybe, but sitting over here looking to my Globe for what is going on over there and seeing this pot-hollering-kettle crap day after day after day just ain't doin' it for me anymore!
On the streets of the Russian capital, one of the largest cities in Europe, manholes go uncovered, icicles plummet down on pedestrians in winter, and giant sinkholes caused by faulty water mains open from time to time, swallowing cars and people.
Related: Ice Missiles Destroyed WTC Towers
We also have our share of sinkholes reported from time to time, but whatever. That propaganda push just flew in the face of the fart mi$t.
In a gesture to nerve-jangled riders, rides on the entire subway system were free Wednesday; the usual fare is about $1. The system, whose first lines opened in 1935, is among the largest in the world, famed for its elegant stations adorned with Socialist Realist art. About 9 million people ride the underground trains on a typical workday.
I'll skip the T transfers and links, sorry.
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"Obama widens Russia sanctions; Defense firms, banks targeted" by Peter Baker | New York Times July 17, 2014
WASHINGTON — President Obama escalated sanctions against Russia on Wednesday by targeting a series of large banks and energy and defense firms in what officials described as the most punishing measures to date for Moscow’s intervention in Ukraine.
Well, it was the covert US overthrow that installed an illegal junta that was the intervention, but why quibble? The NYT can't get it right when it comes to Crimea's vote to join Russia, calling it an annexation time and again while omitting that detail, so why should we be surprised the ax-grinding pos is saying Moscow has intervened when they have done no such thing -- and now Ukraine is attacking Russia itself!
And speaking of the Ukrainian front, notice something missing again today?
While the latest moves do not cut off entire sectors of the Russian economy, as threatened in the past, the administration’s actions go significantly further than the financial and travel limits imposed so far on several dozen individuals and their businesses. The new measures will severely restrict access to US debt markets for the targeted companies.
So what? They are forming their own economic block apart from all that.
Oh, that is what the war is all about, didn't you know?
“We have emphasized our preference to resolve this issue diplomatically, but we have to see concrete actions and not just words,” Obama told reporters on Wednesday evening in remarks in the White House briefing room.
That is such a load of bull coming from any AmeriKan president.
He repeated that Russia needed to halt the flow of fighters and weapons across the border and support peace talks. “So far, Russia has failed to take any of the steps that I have mentioned. In fact, Russia’s support for the separatists and violations of Ukraine’s sovereignty has continued.”
Of course, the NATO powers and the EUSraeli Empire can throw in as much as they want, fly surveillance missions, etc, etc, etc., as well as facilitate them into Syria the last three years.
Among the firms targeted were some of the most prominent in Russia, including Rosneft, the state-owned oil company and largest oil producer; Gazprombank, the financial arm of Gazprom, the giant state-controlled natural gas producer; Novatek, another Russian natural gas producer that has been competing with Gazprom; and VEB, the state economic development bank.
The administration also targeted eight state-owned defense firms; four Russian government officials, including an aide to President Vladimir V. Putin and a top official in the Federal Security Service; an oil shipping facility in Crimea, which Moscow annexed; a pro-Russian separatist leader; and the rump rebel organizations in the eastern Ukrainian cities of Donetsk and Luhansk.
Russia quickly denounced the moves and vowed to retaliate. “We condemn those politicians and bureaucrats who are behind such actions,” Sergei A. Ryabkov, the deputy foreign minister, told the Interfax news agency. Ryabkov said that Moscow would respond with countermeasures that would be “quite painful and serious.”
It will hurt us more than you, but it won't hurt the top of the dome$tic AmeriKan power structure or the political cla$$ that serves them.
The moves were coordinated with European leaders, who were meeting in Brussels on Wednesday to consider their own package of penalties against Russia. The Europeans declined to go as far as the United States, instead focusing on a plan to block loans for new projects in Russia by European investment banks.
Meaning the Europeans basically flipped US the finger!
The disparate approaches reflect the deeper divisions between Washington and Brussels over how tough to be with Russia.
That is a nice way of saying it.
But US officials said the fact that Europe was moving ahead with additional actions, even if not as stringent as their own, should be seen as a sign of solidarity in the face of Russian provocation in Ukraine.
By this time I almost forgot I was reading NYT slop.
The synchronized actions were arranged during a call between Obama and Germany’s chancellor, Angela Merkel.
For the almost last time, I am so, so sick of the staged and scripted imagery and illusion promoting the mythical narratives in order to send messages.
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Meanwhile, the Soviets, 'er, Russians lost another spy. Interesting in light of the fact that the spying scandal involving Germany has melted down the old ma$$ media memory hole, huh?
You know whose approval rating is not rising with me?
