Simon Tisdall (April 27): Democratic deficit powers street protests

[Jack Rabbit]

From the Guardian Unlimited
Dated Wednesday April 27

World Briefing:
Democratic deficit powers street protests
By Simon Tisdall

Russia faces a summer of discontent as rival youth movements and disaffected voters respond on the streets to President Vladimir Putin's increasingly autocratic rule and uncertainty about the country's democratic future.

Youth groups called Walking Without Putin and It's Time!, inspired by Ukraine's orange revolutionaries, are lining up against the Kremlin-backed Nashi and the anti-western, punk counter-culturalists of the National Bolshevik party.

Activists on both sides say conventional politics is failing and the potential for trouble as Russia's marching season approaches has not been lost on Mr Putin.

The state would deal harshly with "unlawful methods of struggle", he warned in a speech on Monday.

Could this be America's future? Conventional politics isn't working too well here, either.

[carnie_sf]

1. But wait

didn't chimpboy say that Putin was promoting democracy in Russia? How can this be?

[bemildred]

2. We are going to find out if the dissolution of the USSR is complete yet.