Stephen Cohen on Putin, Russia's Opposition and Perils of U.S.-backed "Democracy Promotion"

democracynow.org - Thousands of people took to the streets of Moscow on Monday protesting alleged fraud in Vladimir Putin's return to the presidency. An estimated 500 were arrested in parallel rallies in Moscow and St. Petersburg after initial results gave Putin a 63 percent percent victory in Sunday's vote. Putin previously served as Russia's president from 2000 to 2008. Monday's protests followed a number of similar rallies against Putin. We look at the state of Russian politics and the motivations behind the protest movement. "The opposition [has] turned the protest from demand for 'clean government, democracy and end to corruption,' to simply 'Putin must go,'" says Stephen Cohen, professor of Russian studies at New York University. "It could be a bad thing because, in effect, it is saying let us destabilize the Russian government."
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[@Cabronosidad]

The USA sending envoys to Russia to 'teach them about democracy'? You have got to be joking!

[@slavixtube]

I have no problem with promoting own interests, I have a problem with lies sugar coating imperial agenda with 'pretty' words. Anti-democracy promotion is what US is actually doing as opposed to pretending to be doing.

[@siddhant435]

Shit we lost this jewel 2 years back in 2020

[@econdemocracy]

EllyMcCormack, he did not say anything about Russia "not being ready" for democracy that I could hear. Washignton does not intervene for "idealistic" reasons, any more than other countries. If Washington wanted to help improve democracy in Arab countries it doesn't have to encourage violent missle firing rebels in Syria, it can do something 100 times easier, that takes 1 second:Stop Funding Dictatorships in Saudi Arabia&Kuwait&Qatar&Bahrain, Bahrain that beat injured protestoers in hospitals

[@slavixtube]

Yes, I read your comment. And answered it too. There are tons of opposition media in Russia, private and public, including state owned like Echo of Moscow radio, or Rain TV, Novoya, Gazeta.ru and hundreds of others.

[@slavixtube]

American 'democracy promotion' is empire building under a different name. Subversion of independent countries is a more accurate name of this aggression.

[@slavixtube]

>>"Venedictov is as before chief editor" yep but the board was shuffled in state's favour making it easier to put pressure on his editorials. This Russia hatred propaganda station should closed, but it is allowed to run and there has been no 'pressure' to change any of it anti-Russian activity, regrettably, so your allegation is bogus.

[@slavixtube]

"getting rid of terrorists.. self defense... blah blah blah" - a mirror image of American foreign policy propaganda. NO, protecting own territory is far from the same as US policy and actions of invading and occupying foreign countries. >>The region wanted independence No, the region DID NOT want independence, but western and gulf states supported terrorists and radicals wanted to break Russia apart. Chechnya voted in a referendum to stay part of Russia in 2003.

[@slavixtube]

What do your farts have to do with anything I wrote?

[@slavixtube]

Stop with this 'American democracy promotion' garbage. Everyone who is not blind long understands that America is promoting own domination, not any kind of democracy. 'Anti-democracy promotion' is what it should be called. Be honest.

[@slavixtube]

Russia did not perform any live nuke tests last year and what increase in spending have anything to do with threats or proliferation? Washington openly threatens and attacks other countries and using nukes has not been ruled out by anyone at the top. >>you defend Russian war in Chechnya. I don't defend civil war in Russia's region of Chechnya, I hate that it took place and many people died, but it was a war of self defense, not an aggression. I object to your characterization of it.