In wake of popular uprisings, concern in Russia

[Dover]

In wake of popular uprisings, concern in Russia

By Steven Lee Myers The New York Times
Friday, March 25, 2005

In the first decade following the collapse of the Soviet Union, democracy took root in most of its republics in name only. With the exception of the Baltic states - Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, now deeply entwined in Europe - new political systems and new leaders emerged from the post-Soviet chaos promising freedoms but somehow managing to ensure that those freedoms led to the continuation of their power.
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In the past year and a half, however, popular uprisings have claimed the sclerotic leaders of three former Soviet republics. In Georgia in November 2003, in Ukraine a year later, and now in Kyrgyzstan, simmering discontent accomplished what not long ago seemed improbable: the peaceful (so far, in Kyrgyzstan's case) overthrow of governments that ceased to represent the will of the people.
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What is most surprising really is how quickly those governments fell in the face of protesters asserting the rights they had been promised when the Soviet yoke was lifted: the right to express themselves, to elect their representatives, to dream of the better life that their leaders kept promising but all too often failed to deliver.
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For opposition leaders and even for some of those in power in other republics, the events that began in Georgia with the toppling of Eduard Shevardnadze and continued with the extraordinary challenge to a fraudulent election in Ukraine last fall have come like a contagion - one spreading in fast and unpredictable ways.
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Nowhere is the fear and anticipation greater than in the largest and most powerful center, Russia. There President Vladimir Putin has steadily strengthened state control even as he presents himself as a democrat.
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"People are tired everywhere," Aleksandr Rondeli, president of the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International studies, said in a telephone interview from Georgia's capital, Tblisi, referring to popular discontent in the former Soviet republics...cont'd

http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/03/24/news/assess.html

[chlamor]

1. Never Know?

Cable gets cut off-reach the tipping point-Ya Basta!

"What is most surprising really is how quickly those governments fell"

"People are tired everywhere,"

[Dirk39]

2. I love those "revolutions"....

Hello from Germany,

whenever one Junta with ties to the former regime is toppled by a Junta with ties to the CIA, Europe and the USA and their corporations, the corporate Meidia gets an orgasm: "Let freedom ring".

And these "Revolutions" simply look cool. When George Soros is renting some busses and some students from other countries, when some well-minded corporations equips you with orange, velvet etc. ballons and the suitable T-Shirts, all of these funny revolutions and demonstrations have an image that can easily compete with every fast-food chain.

If only it would serve the people, but it doesn't. Georgia and the Ukraine are as corrupt as they were before, but now, they are our whores.

These velvet purple yellow orange revolutions are as impressive as G. W. Bush's "top gun" victory in Iraq.

On edit:


"People are tired everywhere," Aleksandr Rondeli, president of the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International studies, said in a telephone interview from Georgia's capital, Tblisi, referring to popular discontent in the former Soviet republics...cont'd"


I'm tired too, tired of "Foundation(s) for Strategic and International studies"

Dirk

[frankieT]

3. I'm 100% with you

I'm' tired too of the CIA financed think tanks. I think that US pressure on Russia's interests is getting more obvious every day. I hope that this cold war will continue by peaceful means :eyes:

[Sufi Marmot]

4. Did you really think Georgia and Ukraine would turn around overnight?

If only it would serve the people, but it doesn't. Georgia and the Ukraine are as corrupt as they were before, but now, they are our whores.

Jeez, they probably haven't even cleaned up all the orange-colored litter from Kiev and you're complaining that Ukraine and Georgia don't have model governments. How about giving both countries ~5 years or so to see what their respective governments can do. It's not like their former governments were earning their keep...

-SM