tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25230932.post3730669307592615909..comments2023-10-06T10:10:06.982-04:00Comments on La Russophobe: October 30, 2007 -- ContentsLa Russophobehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05672264388217953086noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25230932.post-65825870816188766312007-10-30T10:25:00.000-04:002007-10-30T10:25:00.000-04:00Well, here's something interesting.The Party of Pu...Well, here's something interesting.<BR/><BR/>The Party of Putin, Єдина Росія (One Russia) has declined to take part in televised election debates.<BR/><BR/>Instead, they have allowed as how they want to "more fully get their program directly to the people."<BR/><BR/>Link to Ukrainian article here:<BR/><BR/>http://5.ua/newsline/251//45184/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25230932.post-18949038160480164242007-10-30T10:04:00.000-04:002007-10-30T10:04:00.000-04:00PennyThe funny thing is that russkies like to thin...Penny<BR/><BR/>The funny thing is that russkies like to think of westerners, and Americans in particular, as "тупой"<BR/><BR/>- stupid.<BR/><BR/>And, as everywhere, in some cases that may be true.<BR/><BR/>But for anyone who is interested and follows the subject, westerners and Americans are actually better informed about Russia than the vast majority of russkies themselves.<BR/><BR/>The russkies attack the Internet all over the place, as you know, including Estonia, Ukraine, and other former sovok countries.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25230932.post-40759133835017672702007-10-29T19:57:00.000-04:002007-10-29T19:57:00.000-04:00The WaPo article pointed out that internet usage i...The WaPo article pointed out that internet usage in Russia is only 25%, pretty paltry by western standards, but, not at numbers alarming to Putin & Co. They can afford to accomodate those few dissenters on LiveJournal and other sites who aren't widely read at this point. The pretense of democratic tolerance is important to Putin's image in the West. His pretense at internet tolerance is cheap and easy for now.<BR/><BR/>It's in Putin's best interest to keep Russians as dumb as possible. Investment in tech infrastructure for the masses would work against him ultimately. Can the minority that have access to the internet use it as a community for enlightenment and change? Time will tell.<BR/> <BR/>When this decade or whenever of easy oil and gas money subsidies runs its course Russia will be dumber if nothing changes.Pennyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08179466916477423331noreply@blogger.com