Big Chill Sets in on Putin’s Russia
Brrrrrr…it’s getting cold out there! And for Russians, I’m not just talking about the weather! While there has been a significant cold-snap-smack-down on western Russia and Eastern Europe, this Professor rant deals more with the political, economic, and social chill that has set in on Vladimir Putin’s Russia. The western news media portray the Russian public protest against the government and upcoming elections as a simplistic anti-Putin/pro-democracy thing…but there is much more going on behind the scenes in Russia that is causing this anti-establishment chill to set in. Included in this discussion are corruption, wealth disparity, a fleeing middle class, mafia, and an un-diversified economy that together are creating a sense of hopelessness and political despondency amongst some Russian peoples. And Putin is now paying attention to the change in the Russian political climate!
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Vladimir Putin promises the Russian people greater political power
Keywords: Russia, elections, United Russia, protests, emigration, Russian economy, mafia, corruption, Russian natural resources, oligarchs, wealth disparity, brain drain
Russia Shields Syria…sez Nyet! to UN
The violence continues to escalate in Syria, where the entrenched regime of Bashar al-Assad continues a bloody repression of protestors who are trying to bring the ‘Arab Spring’ revolution to their country. In the latest news, Russia has now publicly stated that there is no way in hell they will allow any UN-sponsored and NATO-led invasion of Syria—the likes of which toppled Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi last year. Say what? Why would Russia openly support a civilian-slaughtering regime? The Professor talks about some of the reasons for this Russian promise of a veto at the UN, and also why the Syrian regime has lasted longer than other Arab dictatorships which have bitten the dust much quicker.
Keywords: Syria, regime, Russia, veto, UN, Security Council, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Arab Spring, weapons, revolution
In Other News…Europe on the Eur-ropes?
A bunch of seemingly unrelated stories are unfolding concurrently in Europe that really get at the heart of the struggle for the future of the European Union. Protests for/against states rights in Hungary; a referendum for EU membership in Croatia; and even a downgrading of credit rating to most of the Eurozone countries all play into a broader picture of where the European Union as a unit is heading. Will it become the “United States of Europe,” or will countries start bailing out of the organization altogether? Only time will tell, but get the latest lowdown on the EU from the Professor right here!
Keywords: EU, European Union, Hungary, protests, Croatia, referendum, membership, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Greece, UK,
In Other News…Putin Power Plummeting!
What the heck is going on in Russia? Looks like a virulent outbreak of democracy is underway, as once-untouchable strongman Vladimir Putin and his United Russia political party are suddenly being body-slammed by the Russian peoples! All this from being booed at a wrestling match? Yep, and even stranger days are ahead for Russia as the first true full-on expressions of democracy are finally flowering…which will lead to an interesting Presidential election in March. Get the low-down on the Moscow madness here!
Keywords: Russia, democracy, wrestling, elections, booed, Russians, President, Prime Minister
In Other News… Turkey Invades Iraq
Turkey had a titanic earthquake this week in the mostly-Kurdish, southeastern part of their country! But before that even happened, the ground was shaking under Kurdish feet in nothern Iraq—because Turkey invaded it and has been bombing it! Why? To route out the PKK, a Kurdish terrorist group. In this rant, the Professor explains why this is happening, and more importantly, why is the US suddenly throwing support behind this endeavor…and who may be behind the resurgence of PKK activities!
Keywords: Turkey, PKK, Kurds, Syria, Iran, US, missile defense shield, NATO, earthquake
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Issue 2: Battle For Burma
Well, the battle for the heart and soul of this country is on, but no one outside Burma seems to be able to do a damn thing about it! Why not?
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