The Great Debate

This about Economy, tagged , , , was written by for on October 14, 2008 .3 Comments

Just wanted to point out there is an on-going four-way debate at Streetwise Professor‘s blog between him, commentator Michel, myself and (at times) Timothy Post. In SWP’s words, it is about “(a) the breadth of Russian prosperity, (b) its dependence on oil prices, and (c) the likely future course of oil prices” and despite the […]

More on Deconstructing Russophobia

This about Society, tagged , , was written by for on October 6, 2008 .3 Comments

Back in August the Streetwise Professor, Timothy Post and yours truly had a trilateral discussion on the meaning of Russophobia. Unfortunately, I missed out on the Professor’s August reply, which is reproduced below. I genuinely appreciate the comment, to which I reply as follows: 1. Edward Said? Puh-lease. Tiresome pomo-ism that elevates banalities about the […]

The Unfathomable Depths of Western Hypocrisy

This , about Geopolitics, tagged , , , , , , was written by for on September 15, 2008 .No Comments

Putin gave an interview to CNN, logically and comprehensively explaining the Russian view on the South Ossetian War. What did CNN do? They censored most of the interview (in stark contrast, Saakashvili’s frequent deranged rantings bouts got prime attention during the conflict), leaving only the stuff that makes Putin look like a loon to the […]

Deconstructing Russophobia

This about Society, tagged , , , was written by for on August 12, 2008 .2 Comments

Streetwise Professor wrote On Russophobia, The charge of “Russophobia” is hurled around with some abandon, and I have been the target of such accusations on more than one occasion, especially in the hothouse environment of the ongoing Russo-Georgian War. More often than not, this word is used as an ad hominem substitute for reasoned argument, […]

More Reflections on Election Fraud

This about Politics, tagged , , , , , was written by for on April 7, 2008 .2 Comments

Two weeks ago Illarionov gave an interview on the Echo of Moscow radio station. Covering it in-depth is somewhat of a pointless exercise, what with him comparing 1999-2007 Russia with Nazi Germany in 1932-40 (because of their rapid economic growth and Russia’s supposed loss of the rule of law). Now not only is invoking Godwin’s […]

News 30 March: The Paradoxes of Russophobia

This about Politics, tagged , , , , , was written by for on March 30, 2008 .5 Comments

Medvedev gives his first foreign media interview (to the Financial Times), in which he charts the bedrock of his presidency. Will continue to pursue primarily Russia’s, not the West’s, interests. Will work in tandem with Putin, to whom he is neither puppet nor rebel. Will strive to root out “legal nihilism” / proizvol in Russia […]

Top 10 Russophobe Myths

This about Politics, tagged , , was written by for on March 25, 2008 .46 Comments

EDIT: Check out the updated Top 50 Russophobe Myths. According to this blog’s philosophy, every thesis needs an antithesis. Hence I present the Top 10 Russophobe Myths, in opposition to La Russophobe’s Top 10 Russophile Myths. (As well as to celebrate our 2000th visit). 10 MYTH: The barbarous state of Muscovy arose in the sixteenth […]

Annals of Media Madness – The Trouble with the Economist

This about Economy, tagged , , , , , was written by for on March 4, 2008 .11 Comments

This is how the Economist celebrates Russia’s presidential election – the Trouble with Russia’s Economy, represented by a bear gorging itself on oil (i.e. invoking the Myth of the Russian Oil Curse, which we have debunked far too many times to count on this blog). Guess we’ll have to do it again. Never mind that […]