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he flew the latest jet fighter to japan, leaving everything he knew.
to see what life had been like for him in the "people's state,"
click:
belenko.

GROUND IN

an expatriate russian woman, mother of an almost grown son, arrives in america and seeks english lessons. she appears to be cultured, reads a lot, and has the usual russian attachment to the ballet, “the nutcracker.” at some point her informal instructor, wishing to emphasize idiom over rote learning, tells her the old story of the new arrival in new england, who is surrounded by elderly residents. he explains that the punch line, since the story has become such a staple, can be had in cast iron as a decoration to be hung in the kitchen, and makes a poster of it for her to ponder. in short, told poorly:

a young couple moves deep into the heart of rural new england and set down permanent roots. they are delighted with the quiet, the neighbors, the good food, and crisp winters. however, they notice a certain distance between their neighbors and themselves. after a while children come, and they feel even more attached to their new home. after many years, one day the father goes to his neighbor and says, “we’ve lived here for decades. we own our own home. we participate in the community. we now have had children here. why aren’t the people more friendly?” the old gentleman replies, “just because the kittens are born in the oven, it doesn’t make them muffins.”

the poster remains in the kitchen, and one month later, the woman is asked to read and explain the punch line. she begins:

“just because the kittens are born in the oven
it doesn’t make them mafia.”

the most bizarre thing is, like the woman quoted in the above incident, the people in the article below have no idea how sick they sound to the outside world.

to see how not just off course, but sick, an entire nation is,
read the entire wall street journall article.
click:
"he is scum."

she is proud of "nuclear bombs."

the weasel.
actually, that's unfair to weasles.

and here's putin's private little army.

wsj

kasparov, wsj, june 20 ‘07
the following is a compilation of quotes from the full article, underlining added.

“rotten beyond redemption.”

- gary kasparov - on the russian government

“marginals.”

- putin -on kasparov and his allies

the world chess champion changed his name twice to make it sound more russian. “i am a well known man who can not be shut up.” he sees himself more as more useful as a mediator of opposition parties than as a candidate, and says the west should not be friendly with putin because he is essentially a dictator.

russias see the american intervention in bosnia to halt ethnic cleansing as aggression. [putin abolished election of regional leaders, who are now appointed from moscow], and cracked down on an entire television network for its criticism. the official system allows only approved parties and then election only to lower positions. anyone not within the system is labeled “extremist”, and those parties without official approval of the government are hounded. it is common for police to beat protesters.

he is blacked out from state tv and must rely on the internet and word of mouth to promote rallies. he travels with bodyguards to prevent being detained by police, and skirmishes often result. at one protest in moscow 2,000 people were surrounded by police with metal barriers, trucks and water cannons. the police arrest people trying to reach a rally. small tours of campaigning are disrupted by hecklers and unexplained microphone breakdowns, and they are often denied permission to assemble in towns other than moscow. going to one rally, at the airport his passport is taken by the police and he is told that there is a problem with his ticket, and is held until after the last plane leaves. after international publicity on violent crackdown on protests, the police now detain and intimidate leaders before events.

many of his colleagues say he naïve for allying with people who are alarmingly nationalist. he supports the u.s.a, war in iraq, and even proposes further incursions. one colleague says he is willing to explain things “to the stupid foreign reporters again and again.” before a radio interview his mom tells him to “speak slowly and simply.”

for the lead paragraphs on a wsj article
on how "new wealth" is being used to solidify the dictatorship,
click:

"there'll be no uprisings here."