Russia

Funny how this was to become a more open democratic society after the fall of communism...

Why Are they picking on the Russians Again?

NEVER, NEVER take any of these reports at face value folks. No doubt Putin is authoritarian - but what world "leaders" aren't? How much of the propaganda mill's (er sorry, mass media's) reporting about Russian events is actually disinfomation? Are the neocons just angry because the Russians are now major oil producers and won't let them pillage their resources? Or are they pissed because the Ruskies won't pander to their plans to attack Iran?

Pick away, I say

That Putin is scary and that his enemies, e.g. journalists, have a strange habit of accidentally dying is not the mass media's fault.

Almost as scary as George Bush

Who would also like to blame the media for his screw-ups.

No wonder they're best friends

Synchronicity?

Innit funny, this almost forged chain of circumstances that seem to bind the American and Russian fates together.

Like two nasty old married people who can't seem to break some cycle of abuse that has turned them into the scary rich people up the street with the high spiky fences who will never give the neighbour kids back their toys or pets.

Ever since the depression, since the October revolution maybe, whatever one becomes, the other becomes.

Uncle Joe Stalin and Kruschev answered by Uncle Joe McCarthy in an escalation of oppression. Both of them committed by their own laws, mind you, to liberty and democracy.

Now Putin and Bush falling all over each other to see who can kiss the most Mafia asses, while disappearing civil rights and dissidents with both hands like some kind of card trick competition in hell.

Lots of other parallels too, I bet. Anybody got any?

USA & USSR vis a vis Nazi Germany

I think there's a bit of synchronicity there too Bailey.

On the one hand we have the Molotov/Ribbentrop pact and a lot of shared industrial and military projects between the Nazis and the Soviets and on the other we have Prescott Bush's involvement in financing and arming the Nazis. Bush was managing director of the Union Banking Corporation, the American branch of Hitler's chief financier's banking network. He was also a director of several related companies which were seized by the American government in 1942, under the Trading With the Enemy Act. They included a shipping line which imported German spies; an energy company that supplied the Luftwaffe with high-ethyl fuel; and a steel company that employed Jewish slave labor from the Auschwitz concentration camp.

Strange bedfellows and strange echoes of what Prescott's grandson is up to today.

I bet Coyote would have a thing to say

I wonder what comments Coyote would have on this topic.

I surely do hope Mr. Beers relents and we get to hear from him again.

Bailey

Are you suggesting, Bailey, that the censorship of Coyote has some vague relationship to the tactics of the nice gentlemen referred to above????

Nah, nothing like that

I'm really quite fond of brother David and his vision here.

I'm just trying to provide a little nudge in proportion.

I think Coyote was mouthing off a bit, the way he does, and Beers got all I'm the boss on him. What I want to happen is for Mr. Beers to realize he overreacted and back down a bit, and Coyote to say sorry, and thank you, and then this snit to be over.

Coyote is not anybody who deserves to be held in such low esteem, just because he sometimes gets excited and speaks without full consideration. He says a lot, you know? Anybody who gives so much to sincere communication ought not to have to be afraid of speaking his words, in case he offends the wrong guy.

Serious people ought not to be so easily disposable. It makes me nervous.

Rendition, shmendition ...

Oooo ... you guys bad ... you guys all gonna get banned.

Sweet Mary

Don't worry, my dear. If we're really in danger of disappearing, then it doesn't really matter if we do.

This is a bit of a crisis of faith for brother David, you know? This thing he took on, this is a hard thing. He was very brave to do it. I applaud the courage it took.

Just think how much serious effort is going into thought control in our culture just now, and here's our David taking it all on practically single handed. Providing everybody this place to talk, to express and to hear the real thoughts of the real people. It's akin to chaos, and dangerous chaos at that.

He must be under great pressure all the time. Riding this whirlwind. Annoying the controllers. He's really done very well, I think. Look how well he handled Dawn Buie's first attempts at astericization of anatomical English. He's established a fair balance, wouldn't you say?

The temptation to avoid the necessary risks will be always strong. Some degree of control is inevitable, or the bullies will walk all over him, and he'll fail from enemy action. But he has shown good restraint, and a delicate judgement.

But now his pride is involved. You know how provocative we can all be, Coyote not the least.

So the question becomes how serious are we? Can he pull himself together enough to step back in deliberation? Can Coyote? If we can, then we live in respectful relationship, and all is well. If not, it's just a scratching post. Too bad, but there it is.

If permission to speak can be withheld so easily, then it must be granted as well, ne'st pas? And who shall I grant the power to grant me permission to speak?

David Beers has the power. Does he also have the maturity to see that he must refrain from using it, to become worthy of holding it?

I think, from what I've seen, he does. He might. I hope he does. But we'll have to see.