Archives for February 2013

Translation: Deputy Minister of Communications Volin explains Media-Business Relations

This about Media, tagged , , was written by for on February 12, 2013 .No Comments

On 9 February, 2013 the Deputy Minister for Communications schooled Moscow State journalism students in the “propaganda model.” They were none too thrilled about the lesson, as Natalia Romashkova writes. Deputy Minister of Communications Volin explains Media-Business Relations The Deputy Minister for Communications and Mass Media Alexey Volin explained the heated reactions to his speech […]

What Political System do Russians Prefer?

This about Society, tagged , , , was written by for on February 9, 2013 .No Comments

A new Levada poll indicates that after a brief infatuation with markets and “Western-style democracy” in the early 1990s, Russians more or less consistently consider the Soviet system to be the best one out there. Russians on the Country’s Political and Economic System Which of these political systems do you think is best: The Soviet […]

The Rapid And Mostly Unnoticed Decline Of Abortion In Russia

This about Demographics, tagged , , was written by for on February 8, 2013 .34 Comments

One of the keystones of the “Dying Bear” meme is the factoid that abortions outnumber births in Russia. As Mark Steyn put it, “When it comes to the future, most Russian women are voting with their fetus.” The only problem is that there is no causal relation between abortions and demographic health whatsoever – and […]

Navigating The Collapse Map – Transhuman On The Dark Mountain

This about Futurism, tagged , , was written by for on February 8, 2013 .3 Comments

Heard of the political compass? Well, one enviro person compiled something similar for those who seriously entertain the possibility that industrial civilization will collapse. (H/t Mark Sleboda for pointing me to it.) Needless to say, the “deniers” are almost as absurd as the “rapturists.” All the business as usual scenarios lead to collapse by mid-century. […]

My Article For Komsomolskaya Pravda On Press Freedoms In Russia And The West

This , about Media, tagged , , , , , was written by for , on February 5, 2013 .4 Comments

Here it is in Russian: Вверх-вниз по рейтингу свободы. This translation here is of a longer version at my Russian language blog. A version of it also appears on Voice of Russia: Press freedom – on both sides of the Information Curtain. Thanks to Alexei Pankin (who is a regular at Komsomolskaya) for making it happen – and […]

Translation: Up And Down The Freedom Rating

This about Media, tagged , , , was written by for , on February 5, 2013 .No Comments

In a comment for popular Russian newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda, Anatoly Karlin compares media freedoms – or the lack thereof – in Russia and the “free” West. There is a longer version of this article at Da Russophile. Recently the French human rights organization Reporters Without Borders unveiled new press freedom ratings, which showed Russia sinking to […]

Translation: Skolkovo In The Ratings

This about Science & Technology, tagged , , was written by for on February 5, 2013 .No Comments

Russia claims one of the top places in a new ratings system of national innovation compiled by Bloomberg. According to the latest studies, the US was recognized as the world’s most innovative country in a new rating. This is not surprising for a country that hosts the likes of Apple and Microsoft. But Russia at […]

Статья для «Комсомолки»: Вверх-вниз по Рейтингу Свободы

This about Media, tagged , , , , , , was written by for on February 5, 2013 .No Comments

Спасибо Алексею Панкину за возможность расместить мою статью в одной из самых популярных газет в России (и за заглавье!), и Александру Меркурису за несколько идей и красивых оборотов речи. Читайте здесь: Вверх-вниз по рейтингу свободы. Ниже расположена более длинная версия, так как комсомольцы сильно сократили оригинал из соображений краткости: Недавно французская правозащитная организация «Reporters sans frontières» обнародовала […]

Translation: Sergey Magnitsky: Act Two

This about Politics, tagged , , was written by for on February 1, 2013 .No Comments

Maxim Kononenko, the gadfly of Runet, on how the hunters may become the hunted in the Magnitsky saga. The representatives of the founder of Hermitage Capital, William Browder, have informed the High Court of London that their client sees no reason to respond to respond to the lawsuit against him by Major Pavel Karpov, the […]

Translation: “Either We Convert, Or They Kill Us”

This about Society, tagged , , , was written by for on February 1, 2013 .No Comments

Yuri Matsarsky meets up with Egyptian Christians who fled to Russia from the persecution of Islamist extremists. “Late one evening I was walking home after a meeting with friends, when I stopped to have a cigarette at the Domodedovskaya metro station and saw a crowd of people with small children at the entrance. By their appearance, […]