Active Users:575 Time:17/05/2026 12:58:32 PM
I still think democracy among those insidiously intrusive Western values Russia resists so fiercely Joel Send a noteboard - 14/03/2017 02:37:39 PM

Russia does not have elections: It has coups and/or assassinations, usually AGAINST leaders foolish enough to try "imposing" liberal democratic principles where they are unwelcome, if not outright incomprehensible.

So speculation is interesting, and thorough detailed historical analysis always interesting, but I doubt Kerenskys government had any more hope than the Weimar Republic, and for the same reason, regardless of any particular policy or policies he pursued. In America, we like to cite ourselves as a textbook example of democratic revolution rather than an "exceptional" deviation from the norm, but the reality is a revolt over taxation (or any other government) without representation is only possible in a nation whose residents are culturally conditioned to EXPECT representative government as no more than their due as citizens. Most abuses that prompted our revolt would have been passively accepted without comment virtually anywhere else in the world, as would the British governments repressive response to our protests.

Honorbound and honored to be Bonded to Mahtaliel Sedai
Last First in wotmania Chat
Slightly better than chocolate.

Love still can't be coerced.
Please Don't Eat the Newbies!

LoL. Be well, RAFOlk.
Reply to message
The February Revolution and Kerensky’s Missed Opportunity - 13/03/2017 09:37:00 PM 915 Views
Fascinating stuff - 13/03/2017 10:52:58 PM 500 Views
Who knows? It could have been worse off. - 13/03/2017 11:37:54 PM 594 Views
What's your opinion on Lenin? - 14/03/2017 02:06:59 AM 550 Views
Lenin. A monster. - 14/03/2017 12:55:18 PM 572 Views
Thanks. I'll ask him too. *NM* - 14/03/2017 03:01:36 PM 269 Views
Lenin, Stalin and Trotsky were all bloodthirsty mass murderers. - 14/03/2017 08:59:06 PM 627 Views
That's fascinating. But give me a book recommendation! - 14/03/2017 09:15:57 PM 506 Views
Start with a general history of Russia - 14/03/2017 10:17:22 PM 637 Views
Excellent. Thank you. It's next on the list. - 15/03/2017 02:11:14 AM 581 Views
Russian history is as depressing as they come. - 15/03/2017 12:08:15 PM 573 Views
Read Figes first, I suppose. - 14/03/2017 10:55:23 PM 540 Views
Thanks, Tom. I've been putting off reading good literature because of my unfamiliarity with Russia. *NM* - 15/03/2017 02:12:10 AM 256 Views
Which books have you put off reading? *NM* - 15/03/2017 12:05:32 PM 246 Views
DEMONS and THE BROTHERS KARAMAZOV are the big two. - 15/03/2017 02:58:13 PM 532 Views
You don't necessarily need to know the history. - 15/03/2017 03:15:38 PM 562 Views
I'm always afraid I'm missing something critical, though! - 15/03/2017 03:50:59 PM 519 Views
Annotations are amazing. My eBook version of War and Peace was the same. - 15/03/2017 04:03:59 PM 538 Views
My High School English teacher neglected Russian literature. - 16/03/2017 01:46:29 AM 508 Views
Hmmmm. - 16/03/2017 01:18:14 PM 536 Views
Tolstoy was a reprehensible human being - 15/03/2017 04:02:52 PM 509 Views
I had no idea. I was under the impression he was deeply devout. - 16/03/2017 01:47:43 AM 541 Views
Here's one example: - 16/03/2017 02:06:45 AM 536 Views
Good lord. The man sounds deranged. But that's fascinating! Is there a good biography on him? *NM* - 16/03/2017 07:50:10 AM 254 Views
Pavel Basinsky's bio is best - 16/03/2017 02:46:47 PM 722 Views
Getting it now. Thanks. *NM* - 16/03/2017 11:06:25 PM 245 Views
For what it's worth, I read Lenin & Trotsky as genuine idealists, while Stalin as just a thug - 15/03/2017 11:16:36 AM 602 Views
I think that's entirely incorrect. - 15/03/2017 04:00:54 PM 611 Views
I didn't mean stupid or brutish, I meant more like a mafia don than a statesman - 16/03/2017 12:18:34 PM 493 Views
Well if you want to completely redefine the phrase "just a thug", perhaps you're right - 16/03/2017 02:43:38 PM 515 Views
Good point - 16/03/2017 09:52:29 PM 654 Views
I hear what you're saying, but... - 16/03/2017 11:53:19 PM 536 Views
Attempt at clarification - 17/03/2017 12:55:03 AM 626 Views
Hehehe..."Fuck off" - 19/03/2017 05:23:49 PM 575 Views
Seems kind of nonsensical - 14/03/2017 01:33:49 AM 623 Views
Good reply. - 14/03/2017 12:57:47 PM 607 Views
They weren't really wrong - 14/03/2017 01:30:07 PM 625 Views
I do enjoy historical "what if" situations. - 14/03/2017 01:47:27 AM 518 Views
Hi there. - 14/03/2017 01:02:44 PM 493 Views
I still think democracy among those insidiously intrusive Western values Russia resists so fiercely - 14/03/2017 02:37:39 PM 625 Views
Is it your persistant anti-Russia bias that makes you so dogmatic? - 14/03/2017 02:51:23 PM 527 Views
I have no problem with Russia, only its government - 14/03/2017 03:07:14 PM 647 Views
Really? - 14/03/2017 03:15:10 PM 549 Views
What a terrible article - 14/03/2017 08:04:50 PM 518 Views
I thought you would think this way. - 15/03/2017 12:04:57 PM 594 Views
I can't decide what I think about Evans - 15/03/2017 04:10:05 PM 504 Views

Reply to Message