Thread: Russia's neo-KGB state

This is an excellent article, mainly because it chronicles the historical demise and rise of the KGB men who now control Russia.

LINK

“A few years ago, we succumbed to the illusion that we don't have enemies and we have paid dearly for that,” Mr Putin told the FSB in 1999. It is a view shared by most KGB veterans and their successors. The greatest danger comes from the West, whose aim is supposedly to weaken Russia and create disorder. “They want to make Russia dependent on their technologies,” says a current FSB staffer. “They have flooded our market with their goods. Thank God we still have nuclear arms.” The siege mentality of the siloviki and their anti-Westernism have played well with the Russian public. Mr Goloshchapov, the private agents' spokesman, expresses the mood this way: “In Gorbachev's time Russia was liked by the West and what did we get for it? We have surrendered everything: eastern Europe, Ukraine, Georgia. NATO has moved to our borders.”

"Nato has moved to our borders". Why? Well, to free the states overrun by the USSR. However, NATO's continued existence remains a threat to Russia and the Russians in power haven't forgotten the blows dealt to them by the West. The West missed its chance to incorporate Russia into itself. But the fact is, neither Europe or the United States have trusted Russia since the collapse of the USSR and Russia's political interference in Georgia and the Ukraine has given us every reason to distrust the Russian regime. However, the Russian people are as eager to immerse themselves in the benefits of commerce and liberty and we did nothing to foster their hopes and dreams.

Why? Because in the West, we don't think about people. We think about governments. The people don't matter. We don't matter. Only our governments. And our governments have all the power, backed of course by wealthy investors, banks, and multinational corporations whose very existence depends upon the good graces of the powerful western regimes.

Here in the United States, we may be the only citizens in the 1st world waking up to the realities of our government-centric perspectives. We are beginning to realize that we don't matter, that we have little power, and that our democracies have become anemic and incorrigible. But we can't just point our fingers at Russia and scream oppression and danger. We must look at our own governments, who do the same things but with the permission and acceptance of other governments, as being just as dangerous and deceitful as the Russians.

Putin missed the mark pretty damn good in that case.

The biggest problem for russia, is the russian organized crime and the extensive corruption, not the west.

Besides, Putin is an extreme right winger so I really don't pay much attention to his ramblings. They are often meant for internal consumption and not us here in the west. I sure hope you are familiar with Russian politics?