Eastern Europe: Olivier's sphere of influence

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Debate & Discussion > Eastern Europe: Olivier's sphere of influence

Dwesa: Jul 19, 2016

Xerxes17 posted:

Which countries have taken on corruption and have managed to clear it out? What has worked and what has not?

Well, there is a High State Attorney in Czech Republic Lenka Brad�čov� that manages to be impartial, is said to incorruptible and brings some causes to court, but due to a limited scale, success is also limited. So you probably need a strong leader with a strong support of general population (she was voted as most influential Czech women several times in a row) to the point that halting anticorruption measures would cut your own support among voters if you are a corrupt politician yourself.
There were some measures introduced in Slovak Republic previously by previous government, like increased transparency in public procurements, but those changes were reverted or made useless since then by current government. So I suppose there might be some anti-corruption changes coming from government, but in EE people are usually blind to corruption of their favorite political parties.

# ¿ Aug 3, 2016 16:42

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# ¿ May 12, 2024 20:25

Dwesa: Jul 19, 2016

steinrokkan posted:

Well, the previous Czech prime minister is currently awaiting trial for bribing politicians by offering them lucrative positions in the public service and the government. That's certainly a good start.

True, I forgot about it (I have only shallow insight into Czech politics). Maybe I should talk about things I know/remember more about.

HUGE PUBES A PLUS posted:

From the Trump campaign thread, seems relevant.

Not much of a surprise. Putin was/is influencing foreign countries by bribing their politicians. This is just another leverage.

# ¿ Aug 3, 2016 17:29

Dwesa: Jul 19, 2016

BattleMaster posted:

It's pretty fascinating (and depressing) to me that "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" thinking is causing both the far right and far left to sidle up to Russia. I used to be a lot more politically active, and a lot of my activist buddies that I'm still in contact with love Russia, part because they're not the West, and part because they started following RT when RT was the only one giving Occupy anything close to fair news coverage and then ate up stuff about the CIA in Ukraine and whatever.

I guess the right's into Russia because Putin snubs Obama regularly and also hates gays.

Unless your friends are anarchists or other similar left movement, far right and far left have a lot in common. Mainly dictatorship and a role of state in former or current communist states and in fascist/nazi states was similar.

# ¿ Aug 3, 2016 18:07

Dwesa: Jul 19, 2016

TheDeadlyShoe posted:

actually, what would Russia look like if Putin had a heart attack tomorrow? He hasn't exactly tolerated any strong figures which could credibly take over...

Medvedev would replace him, but I don't think he is a strong figure, so he would be eventually replaced by someone? I would expect that loss of a strong leader would harm the economy a lot, because market would expect chaos. Anyway, I can only see general decline and increase in radicalization. So Russia will end up either as second North Korea or it will just go bankrupt and slowly fall apart.
He is 63 and full of botox to make him appear younger, I guess we will see what happens soon.

In some completely unrelated news, famous Lithuanian street art of Putin kissing Trump was vandalised by someone

Dwesa fucked around with this message at 09:50 on Aug 15, 2016

# ¿ Aug 15, 2016 09:32

Dwesa: Jul 19, 2016

Palpek posted:

This is not even logistically possible for a huge country like Rusia.

What do you mean? Then softer version of NK. Or maybe I should've said Eastern Bloc II or Nazi Germany II. Barbed wires and patrols at borders. Propaganda, jamming of foreign media and persecution of dissidents. All that stuff, it has been done before, it can be done again. China already employs firewalls for the internet connection for example, so that can be done.

There are said to be factions that are even more hardline than current RF government, I can see them surface and attempt to take power, maybe even in a form of coup.

What I meant about falling apart: more and more autonomy in various regions to appease local oligarchs etc. and make them loyal (as we can currently see in Chechnya) until they decide to leave and be independent or join China or something. Caucasus is one region in which further breakup might happen, maybe regions with Tatars, regions with dominant muslim population, regions that could be sort of self-sustainable because they have a plenty of natural resources and will no longer want to share their profits with the rest of the country.

# ¿ Aug 15, 2016 12:08

Dwesa: Jul 19, 2016

Emanuel Collective posted:

The only real hardline group in Russia is Zhirinovsky's faction, which exists for two reasons: 1) to give Russia someone so extreme that it makes Putin look reasonable, and 2) to give Russia someone so far-right that it can gauge public opinion to see, for example, if Russians would be down with invading Ukraine

Zhirinovsky is a clown. I meant someone like Aleksandr Dugin.

# ¿ Aug 15, 2016 18:46

Dwesa: Jul 19, 2016

I can't find anything about her in english sources except this nice quote at The Moscow Times

quote:

Olga Vasilyeva, who was appointed to her new role on Friday, has previously praised the "efficiency" of the Stalin period and claimed that the leader's purges were both "necessary at the time" and "exaggerated" in history books.

Another stalinist apologist.

# ¿ Aug 22, 2016 16:33

Dwesa: Jul 19, 2016

Radio Prune posted:

Or "Russian-backed separatists" as many call them.

Anything Russian goes. Even Georgian that mass murdered Russians, because why not.

# ¿ Aug 22, 2016 16:54

Dwesa: Jul 19, 2016

DangerousDan posted:

It's the same thing when you see the Azov Battalion doing Nazi salutes and posing with Swastikas. It's like - dude do you not realize what Hitler thought of Slavs lol.

It's just cherry-picking of history again. Holodomor yes, but Generalplan Ost is a western propaganda and they can deny it like Holocaust or anything else. Considering Holodomor, one can see why nazis were seen as liberators in some EE countries. Also, it's not unusual to see local varieties of neonazis that basically only replaced Germans with Slavs as chosen people in their ideology.

anilEhilated posted:

The reason why they considered him a muslim? He has a beard.

I read somewhere a conspiracy theory that current popularity of beards can be attributed to secret attempts to make Europeans comfortable with muslim immigrants (and then something about muslim takeover, NWO and blah blah), because apparently beards = muslims.

# ¿ Aug 24, 2016 14:37

Dwesa: Jul 19, 2016

Blogger Who Filmed Himself Playing Pokemon Go at a Cathedral Could Face Prison

quote:

In mid-August, Valery Gorelykh, the regional police spokesperson, told local reporters that he personally wanted to see Sokolovsky sent to prison for �at least five years,� arguing that an example should be made, to discourage more Pokemon Go players from committing such blasphemy.

Why not just burn him at the stake? Although russian prisons are probably worse.

Dwesa fucked around with this message at 11:48 on Sep 3, 2016

# ¿ Sep 3, 2016 11:45

Dwesa: Jul 19, 2016

Y-Hat posted:

Now that this post is relevant again since Karimov is dead, what does that make Turkmenistan? Is it still on par with North Korea ever since Turkmenbashi died or did they dial down the crazy just a little bit?

I think his successor only changed the person in a cult of personality.

# ¿ Sep 5, 2016 16:47

Dwesa: Jul 19, 2016

I don't get how playing Pokemon Go in church insults religious sensibilities (who even notices?) or what damage it does to anyone, but eh... Russia. Better ruin some lives to ensure no kid is demonically possessed by an app.

Dwesa fucked around with this message at 11:55 on Sep 8, 2016

# ¿ Sep 8, 2016 11:48

Dwesa: Jul 19, 2016

BattleMaster posted:

Man the enforced atheism during the Soviet days really made Russian theists broken in the head.

It's also probably mix of nationalism and lack of any significant reforms. Maybe I am wrong, but there really never were any significant moderate movements, no protestant reformation to challenge them on their religious ground and bring something new, because it was always such a backwards country. State and religion (or lack of it) were pretty much always one, so they have a long history of church that is either backed by state (and backing state) or it is corrupted and controlled by state (bishops collaborating with KGB etc.).

# ¿ Sep 9, 2016 09:06

Dwesa: Jul 19, 2016

cinci zoo sniper posted:

This is correct for all former USSR.

For other EE countries too.

Dwesa fucked around with this message at 11:09 on Sep 10, 2016

# ¿ Sep 10, 2016 11:01

Dwesa: Jul 19, 2016

Doctor Malaver posted:

Religious identity defined Balkans. You were Muslim, Orthodox or Catholic - not Bosnian, Serb or Croat. Nations and nationalism came much later.

This. Serbs in their nationalistic rhetoric see themselves as defenders of (Orthodox) Christendom against Turks and martyrs because of Battle of Kosovo - or because what it represents to them. Meanwhile, Croats are Catholics and there is this whole Catholic-Orthodox Great Schism going on. And Bosniaks are muslims (self-explanatory).

# ¿ Sep 22, 2016 07:57

Dwesa: Jul 19, 2016

Pierogi posted:

My friend is in Sejm right now, posting about the downfall of the last vestiges of a secular society. We're gonna have it like so: if abortions were illegal only criminals would have abortions.

For the next step, Poland will finally appoint Jesus as their king as was originally planned in 2006?

# ¿ Sep 22, 2016 20:31

Dwesa: Jul 19, 2016

Ardennes posted:

That said, as far as the Russian state running out of money, Russia currently has 400 billion in FX reserves. It is fairly unlikely.

Their reserves dropped by quite a bit since 2014 though http://www.tradingeconomics.com/russia/foreign-exchange-reserves
Although it seems they are regaining some of the FX reserves and they are not going to spend it as far as I know, their central bank is just going to print money to cover the deficit.

# ¿ Sep 23, 2016 08:50

Dwesa: Jul 19, 2016

Jygallax posted:

Russia's game with MH17 is becoming absurd at this point, they just. can't. let. it. go...

Any Russian news about Ukraine-Russia conflict were absurd from the start. Also, there are news about dollar/USA collapsing and Russia releasing currency covered by gold standard (also, Putin is a genius or something) every 60 days or so, Russia is releasing absurd 'news' for years now. I wonder why they bother, to most russophiles, it's simply enough if Russia denies everything.

# ¿ Sep 27, 2016 14:50

Dwesa: Jul 19, 2016

KiteAuraan posted:

Oh, and also that Russia can afford this coming war, because Russia Stronk and Always Win.

Their GDP went down by 40% in a span of 2 years or so. Good luck affording anything with that.

Dwesa fucked around with this message at 09:05 on Oct 2, 2016

# ¿ Oct 2, 2016 08:51

Dwesa: Jul 19, 2016

Cat Mattress posted:

It'll go back up as soon as oil prices go back up. OPEC is planning to cut production to raise prices again, so Russia Stronk will return.

OPEC deal is far from being implemented and their competitors in shale oil production already adapted to lower prices. I wouldn't be sure that OPEC will increase prices to their 2014 level.

# ¿ Oct 2, 2016 09:35

Dwesa: Jul 19, 2016

Brown Moses posted:

Lovely website that South Front, it's new to me. So Russian soldiers donated 1,5 ton of humanitarian help to Aleppo? My god, what an amount, what a generosity, it touched my heart. Not a pro-russian website at all. I didn't even bother watching the whole video, too much tinfoil hat for me. Nice quote from wiki article on them: "They even stated that "[it] portrays itself as being a crowdsourced project, but it looks more like a professional info-war project run or backed by the Russian military."

And that was the worst 'debunking' video I have seen. In most debunking videos, they present counterarguments to specific points based on newest facts. RT video just uses lot of flashing images (what for? to induce epilepsy?), ad hominem and then arguments with stuff covered by bellingcat months ago.

fatherboxx posted:

Why not a Topol 2-M shaped-bed - let your little operator dream about bringing on the nuclear apocalypse.

Topol-shaped sex toy would fit its shape more. It wouldn't be homoerotic, but patriotic :ussr:

Dwesa fucked around with this message at 11:35 on Oct 2, 2016

# ¿ Oct 2, 2016 11:28

Dwesa: Jul 19, 2016

Nenonen posted:

In other news, Putin has stopped a surplus plutonium disposal deal made with USA in 2000, claiming that USA hasn't done their part of the deal. Which USA denies.

...whoda thunk that we'd be back to nuclear oneupmanship this soon.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-37539616

Nothing shows your peaceful and friendly intentions more than invading neighbouring countries, bombing hospitals and cancelling nuclear disarmament deals. But really, it will be probably used only for bargaining over Syria and I don't see US lifting sanctions or pulling out of EE because of it (unless Trump wins, then we are hosed because he will do it anyway).

# ¿ Oct 4, 2016 09:30

Dwesa: Jul 19, 2016

Cat Mattress posted:

https://twitter.com/RusEmbUSA/status/783648651943882752/photo/1

I am sure they meant fascist threat and not terrorist, that is a correct favorite Russian adjective.
http://www.rferl.org/a/fascism-russian-medias-new-favorite-label/28035946.html

# ¿ Oct 6, 2016 22:00

Dwesa: Jul 19, 2016

Young Freud posted:

The Soviets' memes would literally be a bunch of variations on "And you are lynching Negroes"

It hasn't changed much since then. When someone condemns Kremlin/Russia for something, trolls just go "but they shoot blacks in US, but what about Denver, but what about Iraq, but what about US bombing civilians, but..."

# ¿ Oct 7, 2016 10:43

Dwesa: Jul 19, 2016

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Friday announced the creation of peace prize in honor of late socialist leader Hugo Chavez, and said he was awarding it to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Maybe Maduro hopes he will bring some toilet paper with him.

edit: for Maduro, there is a shortage of toilet paper (and of many other things) in Venezuela due to economic crisis

Dwesa fucked around with this message at 19:32 on Oct 8, 2016

# ¿ Oct 8, 2016 19:19

Dwesa: Jul 19, 2016

MeLKoR posted:

This is pretty great. Anyone has lyrics/translation for it?

Psalm 51 according to some comment.

# ¿ Oct 8, 2016 20:59

Dwesa: Jul 19, 2016

AceRimmer posted:

Well, it's finally happened, Trump has had his "Slobo did nothing wrong" moment.
http://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-apologizes-serbia-yugoslavia-bombing-509417

I suppose his understanding of Yugoslav Wars is same as his understanding of anything else. Absent or biased and distorted beyond limits of human reason. And he probably just parroted something one of his advisors with links to Russia told him to say.

Dwesa fucked around with this message at 19:25 on Oct 13, 2016

# ¿ Oct 13, 2016 18:12

Dwesa: Jul 19, 2016

Brown Moses posted:

I also just complained to OFCOM about them about this video they broadcast me on the morning of the JIT press conference

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3lwPS_1E2w

What can they do with it?

Edit: that would be NICE

Dwesa fucked around with this message at 12:47 on Oct 17, 2016

# ¿ Oct 17, 2016 12:33

Dwesa: Jul 19, 2016

cinci zoo sniper posted:

"Historical memory becomes an object of "targeted destructive actions from foreign state structures and international organizations, conducting geopolitical activity against Russian Federation."" - Russia's Security Council's experts during talks on preparation to 100-year anniversary of the Russian Revolution.

I expect their government to establish the Ministry of Truth. If they don't have one already.

PS: Don't read the comments. Trolls, trolls everywhere. And useful idiots.

# ¿ Nov 2, 2016 11:11

Dwesa: Jul 19, 2016

Well, he also said at the end of September

quote:

As president I will honor Poland�s sacrifices for freedom. We�re committed to a strong Poland, very committed, totally committed, and a strong Eastern Europe as a bulwark for freedom and security." Along with stating: "We want NATO to be strong which means we want more nations to follow the example of Poland

So it might not be as bad as it seems?
Maybe EE governments will finally start building defenses (not that it would matter much without collective defense). If they're already not Putin lovers and wannabes.

Dwesa fucked around with this message at 12:30 on Nov 9, 2016

# ¿ Nov 9, 2016 12:27

Dwesa: Jul 19, 2016

mobby_6kl posted:

I haven't spoken to any of my friends or relatives in Ukraine since the election but they can't possibly be pro Trump after he was openly sucking up to Putin the whole campaign. Right?

I don't think many Trump supporters in EE realize what his foreign policies might be. They just see anti-liberal anti-establishment anti-muslim PR picture and are happy about it. Also, don't underestimate useful idiots, ex-communists and quislings.

# ¿ Nov 10, 2016 12:51

Dwesa: Jul 19, 2016

In Czech Republic some idiots proposed to make defamation of president a crime.

Similar nonsense to artificially increase "dignity" of a state institution was proposed in Slovak Republic, where ruling coalition wants to limit maximum time of MPs speeches in the plenary debate and prohibit use of audio, video and audio-video equipment in debates. Which is according to the president unconstitutional bullying.

I guess some people believe that respect for political institutions can be improved by prohibiting disprespect, because not being vulgar kleptomaniacs is too hard.

Dwesa fucked around with this message at 12:40 on Nov 16, 2016

# ¿ Nov 16, 2016 12:22

Dwesa: Jul 19, 2016

Swan Oat posted:

can someone explain, as if to a very dumb idiot (me), what is wrong with the second two of those pictures? i dont relaly know what im looking at....

Maybe the fact that people are inside a boiler, so it's not working. And they are cleaning it with a high-tech device (saw) in the next picture.

# ¿ Nov 21, 2016 10:31

Dwesa: Jul 19, 2016

I found a comparison of boiler rooms of other two Kuznetsov-class carriers sold to India and China... those two were refurbished, but still...

Dwesa fucked around with this message at 15:00 on Nov 21, 2016

# ¿ Nov 21, 2016 14:58

Dwesa: Jul 19, 2016

Young Freud posted:

The hilarious thing was recently they thought some Swedish college student who went off her meds and ended up panhandling in Rome was a grown up ARE MADDY, which tells you that it's still one of those tabloid tropes that hanging around.

I don't get this obsession over one lost kid. There were no other similar cases since then or what?

And now for something completely different: This is a relatively minor thing when compared to other stuff, but court in Slovak Republic released certain 'businessmen' (read mobsters) from charges of bribery, because of lack of evidence. But the person that received bribery from them is still in prison, because other senate concluded that the crime happened. Absurd EE justice in a nutshell, I guess.

# ¿ Nov 30, 2016 11:35

Dwesa: Jul 19, 2016

I would guess that Russia is becoming agriculturally self-sustaining because food prices went up, so people can afford less food or only cheaper food - eat less, import less.

# ¿ Dec 1, 2016 22:39

Dwesa: Jul 19, 2016

HUGE PUBES A PLUS posted:

A Su 33 crashed attempting to land on the Admiral Kuznetsov according to Russian media. This is the second Russian plane to crash in the Mediterranean.

https://lenta.ru/news/2016/12/05/su33/

Nice power projection.

# ¿ Dec 5, 2016 13:08

Dwesa: Jul 19, 2016

HUGE PUBES A PLUS posted:

File this one under bizarre. Amateur researchers from NASA found an abandoned city on the surface Mars, according to this Russian website.
Thank goodness for Russian journalism.

Hah, other popular stories are funny too. Something about Russian kid adopted into USA killed by parents and then some article about discrimination against Russian media by the West. That's like neo-nazi with swastika on his forehead complaining about being called racist.

# ¿ Dec 8, 2016 19:31

Dwesa: Jul 19, 2016

spacetoaster posted:

On Russia, or Putin?

Yeah, most of current Russia-lovers are actually just Putin-lovers. The graph says so too, it didn't measure their opinion on Russia.

# ¿ Dec 21, 2016 21:34

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# ¿ May 12, 2024 20:25

Dwesa: Jul 19, 2016

Warbadger posted:

Yeah, as much as the Russian government is awful I'm not really thrilled about a bunch of Russian musicians dying.

Formally, they were also a part of Russian army and they played part in defending Russian invaders etc. I might feel sad for their families, but I don't care much about loss to culture. I am sure Russian propaganda machine can always find someone else to sing about 'polite people' (Crimea invaders) and I would rather not imagine what kind of twist would have 'liberation of Aleppo' in their interpretation (I guess they prepared something for that occassion).

# ¿ Dec 28, 2016 13:07

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