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Is Russia a dictatorship?

Is it a free country or not? Are the elections rigged?
Elections may not be rigged but political rivals can get killed off.
Highly authoritarian would be more accurate.

Opposition political parties are marginalised or excluded from elections, there is limited political plurality, the media is state controlled, there are limits on freedom of speech and assembly, minority groups are persecuted, etc.

Basically living in Russia was **** during the Russian Empire, was **** under communism and is **** now.
Original post by Kitten in boots
Highly authoritarian would be more accurate.

Opposition political parties are marginalised or excluded from elections, there is limited political plurality, the media is state controlled, there are limits on freedom of speech and assembly, minority groups are persecuted, etc.

Basically living in Russia was **** during the Russian Empire, was **** under communism and is **** now.

Unless you are rich and brown nose Putin.
Reply 4
Avatar for Napp
Napp
22
Original post by Kitten in boots
Highly authoritarian would be more accurate.

Moderately would be more appropriate.

Opposition political parties are marginalised or excluded from elections, there is limited political plurality, the media is state controlled, there are limits on freedom of speech and assembly, minority groups are persecuted, etc.

Too a point, granted they have to jump through an annoying number of hoops to get on the ballot but theyre rarely outright banned.
Some of the media is state controlled, such as the main television stations (although there is a difference between ones which are actually controlled by the state and those which simply pay it fealty) there are however plenty of outlets who are extremely critical of the Kremlin the issue is theyre just not all that popular and thus dont have an overly wide audiance. To say all media is controlled by the Kremlin is absolutely incorrect though.
Not much more than in most countries, you are absolutely entitled to your own opinion and entitled to voice it in Russia the only problem is when you start to stage unauthorized demonstrations and the like.
Which minority groups exactly? I mean the ethnic ones generally speaking enjoy complete equality before the law - with Russia being the exceptionally ethnically diverse state that is (170 odd groups if memory serves) i can only assume youre referring to the well noted 'anti gay propaganda' bill (itself more or less a carbon copy of the one, until recently, on the UK statue books) which aside from that there is still a rather lively gay scene in most of the major metropolitan areas. The only glaring exception to this rule of thumb would be Chechnya, which is only de jure within control of Moscow and is de facto a fiefdom.

Basically living in Russia is **** now.

How so exactly? Especially given a significant number of Russians would violently disagree with you on that count.
Original post by DiddyDecAlt
Unless you are rich and brown nose Putin.

More simply stay out of the Kremlins way these days, in line with his wee meeting with the last cohort in the Kuntsevo Dacha.
Original post by Napp
More simply stay out of the Kremlins way these days, in line with his wee meeting with the last cohort in the Kuntsevo Dacha.

So in nut shell, living in Russia is great as long as you do the right thing as dictated by the Kremlin. Brilliant.

Ever wonder why opposition parties and news outlets are unpopular?
Reply 6
Avatar for Napp
Napp
22
Original post by ByEeek
So in nut shell, living in Russia is great as long as you do the right thing as dictated by the Kremlin. Brilliant.

I dont believe I said that..

Ever wonder why opposition parties and news outlets are unpopular?

Well the main reason is, naturally, exposure. It's rather hard to compete with the state and the quasi state institutions for scale. With that being said online independent media in Russia is extremely popular.
Original post by Kitten in boots
Opposition political parties are marginalised or excluded from elections, there is limited political plurality, the media is state controlled, there are limits on freedom of speech and assembly, minority groups are persecuted, etc.

Seems like every one of these things could be said about the UK to some degree. We need a proper yardstick of comparison.
Original post by Justvisited
Seems like every one of these things could be said about the UK to some degree. We need a proper yardstick of comparison.

Is that really true though? For £500 you simoly fill in a form and you can stand for election, no questions asked. If you win so much of the vote you get your money back.

The difficulty for new parties is not being harassed by the authorities as in Russia but getting your message out and showing authenticity which generally boils down to cash. That said, the Brexit party have done it, and 100 or years ago the Labour party did it too.
Given their new law that massively restricts the Internet, I would certainly say so.
No more than we are... a right wing minority of 30 or so called the ERG calling all the shots in a house of over 600. Voice any objection and you're branded an enemy of the people! Putin himself couldn't do better.
(edited 4 years ago)
Original post by DiddyDecAlt
Elections may not be rigged but political rivals can get killed off.

Naww… just brand them enemies of the people and let the public kill them for you. Now... where have I heard that recently? I remember now... Nazi Germany!
(edited 4 years ago)
Original post by Vinny C
No more than we are... a right wing minority of 30 or so called the ERG calling all the shots in a house of over 600. Voice any objection and you're branded an enemy of the people! Putin himself couldn't do better.

If you think the Spartans are in charge, you need to give your head a wobble.
Original post by LiberOfLondon
If you think the Spartans are in charge, you need to give your head a wobble.

Would hardly call Rees Mogg a Spartan. Think those Boris goggles must still be affecting your vision.
Original post by Vinny C
Would hardly call Rees Mogg a Spartan. Think those Boris goggles must still be affecting your vision.

There are 80 people in the ERG, which is a ginger group run by Rees-Mogg. There is a ginger group in the ERG called the Spartans which has 30 people in. The Spartans are led by Baker and Francois. Rees-Mogg isn't in the Spartans.

Does this make sense?
Original post by LiberOfLondon
There are 80 people in the ERG, which is a ginger group run by Rees-Mogg. There is a ginger group in the ERG called the Spartans which has 30 people in. The Spartans are led by Baker and Francois. Rees-Mogg isn't in the Spartans.

Does this make sense?

No... why would Dr Who team up with a Frenchman? And a ginger group? Worse than I thought... a nation run by Chris Evans. Explains everything! Even his crap virgin ads. He even claims to be Captain America!
(edited 4 years ago)
Original post by DeesideEwan
Is it a free country or not? Are the elections rigged?


They are manipulated. Throw out your deal or else... Farage ought to be shot!
Original post by Vinny C
No... why would Dr Who team up with a Frenchman? And a ginger group? Worse than I thought... a nation run by Chris Evans. Explains everything! Even his crap virgin ads. He even claims to be Captain America!

:rofl2:
Original post by LiberOfLondon
:rofl2:

Plus very concerned about Chris Evans driving around with a van full of kids (the Virgin radio ads). I recall the last time a radio station allowed a DJ to do that unsupervised.

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