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Russia fails to meet G8 requirements
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Russia does not meet democratic standards for membership of the Group of Eight and its leadership of the rich nations’ club risks destroying the G8’s credibility, a British think-tank said on Sunday.
Russia has gone backwards in its respect for democracy and civil liberties since it took over the presidency of the G8 in January, the Foreign Policy Center said in a report published before a Group of Eight summit in St. Petersburg on July 15-17 and quoted by Reuters.
The Foreign Policy Center is an independent think-tank whose patron is British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
“(Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s record is no longer in doubt,” the report’s author, Hugh Barnes, told Reuters.
“He has systematically dismantled Russian democracy and that very fact in some ways makes a mockery of the G8,” said Barnes, director of the center’s “Future of Russia Program.”
The report said the Russian economy — expected to move up to 10th in the world this year from 12th — was not big enough for the G8, intended to group the world’s largest economies, and that Russia was neither politically nor economically free.
“Moscow’s leadership of the G8 is in danger of reducing the group’s credibility and relevance to zero,” the report said, urging other G8 nations to develop a concerted policy “to force Putin to live up to his international obligations.”
Putin has rejected similar criticisms of Russia’s record on democracy in the past.
The report noted, however, that Russia holds the world’s largest natural gas reserves and its oil reserves may equal those of Iraq. “As world energy demand grows ... Russia’s wealth and potential power are certain to grow as well,” it said.
The Group of Seven leading industrial democracies — the United States, Japan, Germany, Britain, France, Italy and Canada — have gradually integrated Russia since the early 1990s into their club to foster democracy and economic reform there. But the report said things had not worked out that way.
It rated Moscow against the G8’s founding principles of democracy and economic stability, finding that Russia had failed to comply with G8 norms on open society and rule of law.
Story link:
http://www.mosnews.com/news/2006/06/25/fallingshort.shtml
Looks like Russia may be thrown out of the G8. They should really be replaced them with China, seeing their economy is on par with the UK and soon to be bigger. It doesnt really make sense having a Russia there anymore, they've got some BIG problems to sort out, and economically they dont cut it. I quite like the Russians aswell...
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Putin is taking power himself. They haven't been a Democracy since he FIRST got in, ffs. Their economy was down the shitter anyway, he has just about managed to acheive minor stability with it though, and growth in some areas. Russia is on the rise again, ever slow slowy it is starting out. But don't ever be in doubt - Russia will be back.
China is about as Democratic as a Lamb Donner is healthy. No point in having them onboard other than economic influence. To take them on board would make even MORE of a mockery of G8 - showing it is money buying influence, not democratic values. Not like G8 has any credibilty left tbh though.
Fuck it. Russia doesn't give a shit. It's big enough to stand on its own.
i like lamb donors though
Yes, but China is the world next superpower and its probably best to cooperate with them now, it wouldnt be good if we left them alone and 40 years down the line when their the worlds richest and most powerful country they decide to expand their borders and then were stuck with WW3. Europe/US vs. China and its allies....that would nasty.
Agreed that Russia is on the way up, its also got alot of oil and gas (which equaltes to power and influence) which probably makes up for its economy weakness, maybe they should make a G9...
When did Russia ever have a democracy?
Who the hell are these thinktank people who come up with these little gems?
Russia has got a lot of problems which are deeply rooted so it will take time for them to be fixed.
I dare any country to challenge Russia....
China is the fastest growing economy in the world and they do not need to be part of G8 as if that's an honor anyway!!
As for Russia...Fuck'em, its onluy Russia, they got enough hot tennis players bringing in Nike money to support them lol.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_military_expenditures
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28nominal%29
I agree, China's economic growth will dramatically decrease as it gets bigger, countries with smaller economies who are doing successfully, have fast economies which soon decrease as size increases.
EPYHDA (that's bollocks in Russian)
Forget Soviet Union.
Russia might be on the ground wounded but not dead.
And i bet you that the UK is more scared of Russia than vice versa.
Also I am dying to find out where you found that stat about alcoholics!! (not that i disagree with it)
As for China, there are more building cranes in Shanghai today or on any given day than in the rest of the world together...
And there's a massive Tesco there.
:shocking:
And their Military could probably STILL slaughter nearly anyone else. It would at least hold out until both sides got fed up anyway.
And their Airforce is more than capable of not only intercepting anything thrown at it (Having the worlds best fighters helps) it could easily bomb any country into submission.
They could never sustain an offensive (Thanks to the economies weakness) but defensivley they could win. You'd be a fool to attack Russia. Also they have the worlds largest Nuclear arsenal.
As for China - Converting from agriculture to Industry? Just now? You are aware it was MAO who did that, quite a WHILE ago. The reason for the growth is capitalism itself. See, China's unique current political situation is perfect for capitalism - a nation where is costs so little to live, that people can live off the poultry wages all big businesses want to pay their workers. Meaning the profit margin is AMAZING. The people gain nothing out of it - they live practically the same lives they had before - but they now produce things that cost $1 to make and sell for $100 in the west. So all western business will send their production facilities over there ASAP... big money to be made! Why would this slow down until all business that can have gone? And even then it will level at an amazing amount - especially as this has a detremental effect on Western economies - the places there production facilities are leaving.
And as well as the economic gains China gains a big stranglehold over the West we probably shouldn't allow a nation such as China to have (The current president is fine - but what if the next guy has different views?) - China could cut off exports to the west, or increase prices, etc - and then what do we do? Attack the Worlds Largest Armed Forces?
purchasing power parity is a more accurate measure of a nation's income
I like how only the CIA world factbook puts America above Europe. Owned.
here, have a lamb
I cant actually believe your comparing the other G8 members to Russia
Hardly mate. He is more than right to do it. Russia is bad, but at least they have the fucking balls to be open about it... unlike the rest of us hiding it away.
Dear God, I just defended and agreed with SG. *dies*
I'm sure if in the ONE press conference Putin has a year, if asked a question on this he'll be open and honest about it.
But nearly every Russian is... the police are quite open about corruption compared to elsewhere.
They sometimes demand bribes.
No-one said nothing...
Give me £50. Now. Or else you may not see tomorow.
I love white liberals who have a stab at Russia especially when all they've read is the Western press. Human rights is a rather tenuous notion I tend to find and a rather meaningless standard to judge countries we don't like so much. I think all this is arising (there's a LOT of anti-Russia feeling in the press these days) is just because Putin is refusing to take one for the team and be bum fucked by the rest of the G8. He is persuing Russia's agenda and not the US's or Britain's and I respect him for it.
Corruption is everywhere in the world. For most of the world, it's not evil or seedy, it's a way of life.
As for Chechnya, for God's sake, it's part of Russia! It's not a seperate country and if for example, Norfolk started demanding independence, it would be smacked back down, which is what is happening to Chechnya. Russia doesn't want them to have their own independent fundamentalist Islamis state so they bitch slap them. Or at least try to.
Chechyna didn't start off as an islamic revolution. its first President had been in charge of the Soviet's nuclear bomber force in the Baltic States and was married to the daughter of a Russian general. He was a Chechen nationalist, rather than an Islamic Revolutionary. the majority of his senior officer and politicians were the same - there were as many ex-Soviet officers in the Chechen forces as the Russians.
It was massive Russian overreaction which forced Chechyna into Islamic hands and allowed the radicals to take greater control. If Russia had just left Chechyna alone for a few more months it would almost certainly have collapsed. It was struggling to pay its civil servants, was bankrupt and the popularity of the seperatists was plummenting. But Yeltsin needed his 'small, victorious war' and sent in the tanks.
What followed was a fuck up in both military and political terms. Russian tanks, unsupported by infantry were cut to pieces in the streets of Grozny. The Russians followed their normal doctrine off overwhelming firepower (those who criticise the US in Iraq need to see Chechyna to see what they could have been capable off it they had fully unleashed). The Chechens fought back and as the only people who seemed capable of protecting them or offering support were radical Islamists they flocked to their arms.
Russia is stuck in Chechyna now. They can't allow there to be a radical Islamic state on their doorstep. I have every sympathy for the average poor Ivan who's stuck out there doing his Government's bidding, but I've no sympathy for the Russian Government. They thought they'd have a small barbeque, but didn't see if you throw on cans of petrol that barbie may burn out of control.
Well, I do. See, Putin inhereted this problem, he didn't start it. He did do alot to sort it out, it was a mess when he got it. It is now rather under control. Yes, their is still torture etc... but as you said about the shooting and torture of random civilians - that has calmed down alot now. Infact, many have befreinded soldeirs out there. Sometimes they even sit and play cards together.
Chechnya is a hell of a mess now. And the Russian government can't afford to rebuild it now, what with the big corrupt mess there. Which is a shame, it was a beutiful city. Now its just a pile of rubble. There are a couple of new buildings though... a start has been made.
Awwweeessssooommmmeeee!!!
*Has lots of fun planning this*
First question "Giz us a job mate."