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Look, we both know I consider your knowledge of Russia to be non-existent and that your own bias The Shrike Send a noteboard - 14/03/2017 03:27:05 PM

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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.


against Russia has led you to make statements about Russia that are ignorant. What books have you read on Russian and Soviet history? I am genuinely curious where your biases and ignorance stem from.

Of course Russia has had elections. And Russia still has elections. Granted they are currently rigged, which is sad. But aside from the brief period in between Gorbachev and Putin, Russia has not had true open democracy in its entire history. This is true. Then again the period of democracy was one of the worst periods in Russia's history. The US and the rest of Europe should have had some sort of new Marshall Plan to help Russia's economy transition. But instead Russia got lies and threatened by an encroaching NATO its Near Abroad. It's going to take lots of time for Russia to transition to democracy.

WIll Russia eventually have a true democracy? Possible in our lifetimes. But the groundwork for that requires certain preconditions having to do with a better economic situation. And when that happens, and a huge swath of the population is secure enough in their economic situation, then you will see the people clamoring for more representation. But until that happens, whoever can best produce economic betterment will be the best leader in the eyes of the Russian people. And if its an autocrat, then so be it they will say.

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The February Revolution and Kerensky’s Missed Opportunity - 13/03/2017 09:37:00 PM 787 Views
Fascinating stuff - 13/03/2017 10:52:58 PM 409 Views
Who knows? It could have been worse off. - 13/03/2017 11:37:54 PM 499 Views
What's your opinion on Lenin? - 14/03/2017 02:06:59 AM 446 Views
Lenin. A monster. - 14/03/2017 12:55:18 PM 477 Views
Thanks. I'll ask him too. *NM* - 14/03/2017 03:01:36 PM 228 Views
Lenin, Stalin and Trotsky were all bloodthirsty mass murderers. - 14/03/2017 08:59:06 PM 499 Views
That's fascinating. But give me a book recommendation! - 14/03/2017 09:15:57 PM 413 Views
Start with a general history of Russia - 14/03/2017 10:17:22 PM 525 Views
Excellent. Thank you. It's next on the list. - 15/03/2017 02:11:14 AM 477 Views
Russian history is as depressing as they come. - 15/03/2017 12:08:15 PM 470 Views
Read Figes first, I suppose. - 14/03/2017 10:55:23 PM 431 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 213 Views
Which books have you put off reading? *NM* - 15/03/2017 12:05:32 PM 200 Views
DEMONS and THE BROTHERS KARAMAZOV are the big two. - 15/03/2017 02:58:13 PM 422 Views
You don't necessarily need to know the history. - 15/03/2017 03:15:38 PM 457 Views
I'm always afraid I'm missing something critical, though! - 15/03/2017 03:50:59 PM 410 Views
Annotations are amazing. My eBook version of War and Peace was the same. - 15/03/2017 04:03:59 PM 430 Views
My High School English teacher neglected Russian literature. - 16/03/2017 01:46:29 AM 389 Views
Hmmmm. - 16/03/2017 01:18:14 PM 429 Views
Tolstoy was a reprehensible human being - 15/03/2017 04:02:52 PM 412 Views
I had no idea. I was under the impression he was deeply devout. - 16/03/2017 01:47:43 AM 424 Views
Here's one example: - 16/03/2017 02:06:45 AM 429 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 211 Views
Pavel Basinsky's bio is best - 16/03/2017 02:46:47 PM 594 Views
Getting it now. Thanks. *NM* - 16/03/2017 11:06:25 PM 203 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 481 Views
I think that's entirely incorrect. - 15/03/2017 04:00:54 PM 494 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 379 Views
Well if you want to completely redefine the phrase "just a thug", perhaps you're right - 16/03/2017 02:43:38 PM 409 Views
Good point - 16/03/2017 09:52:29 PM 540 Views
I hear what you're saying, but... - 16/03/2017 11:53:19 PM 435 Views
Attempt at clarification - 17/03/2017 12:55:03 AM 511 Views
Hehehe..."Fuck off" - 19/03/2017 05:23:49 PM 445 Views
Seems kind of nonsensical - 14/03/2017 01:33:49 AM 509 Views
Good reply. - 14/03/2017 12:57:47 PM 490 Views
They weren't really wrong - 14/03/2017 01:30:07 PM 525 Views
I do enjoy historical "what if" situations. - 14/03/2017 01:47:27 AM 423 Views
Hi there. - 14/03/2017 01:02:44 PM 393 Views
I still think democracy among those insidiously intrusive Western values Russia resists so fiercely - 14/03/2017 02:37:39 PM 498 Views
Is it your persistant anti-Russia bias that makes you so dogmatic? - 14/03/2017 02:51:23 PM 427 Views
I have no problem with Russia, only its government - 14/03/2017 03:07:14 PM 525 Views
Really? - 14/03/2017 03:15:10 PM 450 Views
Look, we both know I consider your knowledge of Russia to be non-existent and that your own bias - 14/03/2017 03:27:05 PM 478 Views
What a terrible article - 14/03/2017 08:04:50 PM 400 Views
I thought you would think this way. - 15/03/2017 12:04:57 PM 481 Views
I can't decide what I think about Evans - 15/03/2017 04:10:05 PM 393 Views

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