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Yet another anti-Russia story...

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Yup, another anti-Russia story on the BBC about how backwards it is that it allows such large-scale corruption to run riot.

It really makes me sick the often blatant anti-Russia stance that all western media has. It never has anything good to say about it and this is just another example. Although the BBC are by far the slickest in trying to make their stories appear impartial, they are often the harshest critics.

An issue touched upon in this article but not really expanded upon is the fact that, this is the way they live their lives. This is not Europe. Your rules do not apply there. This is Russia and Russia operates on its own rules. If that means corruption (which apparently is synonymous with pure evil) then that's fine. It's their way so let them get on with it.

Perhaps I am a little biased being a complete Russophile but I think the sheer quantity of anti-Russia stuff in the media nowadays is getting beyond a joke. Do they have a specific new agenda or is this just the Cold War resurfacing again (a LOT of commentators in Russia seem to think so and I'm inclined to agree)?

/discuss.
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Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Its only evil and corrupt until they bow down and allow OUR corrupt MNC's to come in and dominate their markets. Then all manner of backroom dealing, obscenely paid corporate lobbying/payoffs, etc.. can and will be duly overlooked by the corporate owned Western media.

    Same old story regardless of the target of their disingenuous vitriol.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    it doesnt help though that there is virtually no media outlet in russia that isn;t owned by the kremlin in one way or another....
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Our Western mainstream media is no less controlled and misinformative, with a mere 7-10 corporations owning the entirety of broadcast and printed media. Add to that the standard operative media practice of simply reprinting the same newswire sourced stories rather than conducting any true investigation and you can be sure those who rely on mainstream "news" for insight are quite effectively misinformed and manipulated toward the desired groupthink opinion on regular basis.

    Such is the very nature of what Walter Lippmann dubbed "manufactured consent" as far back as the 1930's.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Our Western mainstream media is no less controlled and misinformative, with a mere 7-10 corporations owning the entirety of broadcast and printed media. Add to that the standard operative media practice of simply reprinting the same newswire sourced stories rather than conducting any true investigation and you can be sure those who rely on mainstream "news" for insight are quite effectively misinformed and manipulated toward the desired groupthink opinion on regular basis.

    Such is the very nature of what Walter Lippmann dubbed "manufactured consent" as far back as the 1930's.


    no i fully agree, but to an extent there is a greater freedom of press a la NYT a few weeks ago etc
  • Teh_GerbilTeh_Gerbil Posts: 13,332 Born on Earth, Raised by The Mix
    it doesnt help though that there is virtually no media outlet in russia that isn;t owned by the kremlin in one way or another....

    Not owned. Forced into things at threat of closure and raids.

    TBH, Russia has problems. But so does everywhere.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    This story is like the BBC Head holding a glass of vodka and saying "I don't drink alcohol"...

    Why doesn't BBC do a story of countless homeless people in the UK who are forced to drink alcohol and take drugs to make themselves feel better and then get into addiction and into a dead end road...

    Shit happens.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    greater freedom of press a la NYT a few weeks ago etc

    Ah, the NYT which colluded with the Bush administration to withhold known illegal NSA wiretapping of US citizens for up to a year before deigning to inform the public. Yes, tell me all about "freedom of the press".

    Freedom to collude with the governing institutions rather than fulfilling their role as the public's watchdog on government abuse of power and corruption, that's what that oft repeated double entendre actually means, my friend.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Yawn to this story, i mean come on, Corruption in Russia...or anywhere for that matter, Shock Horror! But not quite. America...Russia...China...France...UK, they are all corrupt and no different.

    As for media controlled censorship. Cland, did you see that Fox news interview that went wrong? Some one put a link up to it on here and it was just a class thing to see poor old Colonel North and that other Fox dude come off looking like dumbasses.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    subject13 wrote:
    America...Russia...China...France...UK, they are all corrupt and no different.

    Now that's a generalisation and a half. I'm not saying trying to say that all countries don't have some level of corruption, especially within the government, but Russia's corruption extends not only into the daily lives of a minority (eg. criminals, prisoners, businessmen), but the daily lives of EVERYONE. I can't imagine that in France I'd be ordered to pay a fine "because you are British and rich". I can't imagine running a red light in Britain, slipping £1 to the policeman who pulled me over, and driving off with no further comment. I can't imagine that a American cop would find something wrong with my passport that requires immediate payment of a $50 fine, until I mention phoning my Embassy, at which point there doesn't seem to be a problem with it at all. And I can't imagine anywhere in the western world where, if any of the above incidents happened to you, the response from local people would be "Oh, don't worry about it, it is quite normal for our country."
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    wildchild wrote:
    Now that's a generalisation and a half. I'm not saying trying to say that all countries don't have some level of corruption, especially within the government, but Russia's corruption extends not only into the daily lives of a minority (eg. criminals, prisoners, businessmen), but the daily lives of EVERYONE. I can't imagine that in France I'd be ordered to pay a fine "because you are British and rich". I can't imagine running a red light in Britain, slipping £1 to the policeman who pulled me over, and driving off with no further comment. I can't imagine that a American cop would find something wrong with my passport that requires immediate payment of a $50 fine, until I mention phoning my Embassy, at which point there doesn't seem to be a problem with it at all. And I can't imagine anywhere in the western world where, if any of the above incidents happened to you, the response from local people would be "Oh, don't worry about it, it is quite normal for our country."

    Corruption is not as widespread in Russia as the media would have you believe. The Russians are a lot more honest people than in the West. Their image is just sullied by a few well-documented cases. Secondly, their apparent corruption is nothing different to that of any developing country.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    No subject, I dont waste my time with the drivel put out by Fox. I rarely watch any mainstream media except to periodically take stock of the vast amount of contextual information they don't mention. That includes BBC as much as CNN.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Corruption is not as widespread in Russia as the media would have you believe. The Russians are a lot more honest people than in the West. Their image is just sullied by a few well-documented cases.

    In the four months I lived in Moscow, all those things and more besides happened to me or a close friend - so from personal experience, I'd say corruption is pretty prevalent. The Russians may well be honest in many ways, but I think only a minority would take a stand against corruption and refuse to pay a bribe.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    wildchild wrote:
    Now that's a generalisation and a half. I'm not saying trying to say that all countries don't have some level of corruption, especially within the government, but Russia's corruption extends not only into the daily lives of a minority (eg. criminals, prisoners, businessmen), but the daily lives of EVERYONE. I can't imagine that in France I'd be ordered to pay a fine "because you are British and rich". I can't imagine running a red light in Britain, slipping £1 to the policeman who pulled me over, and driving off with no further comment. I can't imagine that a American cop would find something wrong with my passport that requires immediate payment of a $50 fine, until I mention phoning my Embassy, at which point there doesn't seem to be a problem with it at all. And I can't imagine anywhere in the western world where, if any of the above incidents happened to you, the response from local people would be "Oh, don't worry about it, it is quite normal for our country."

    You hit the nail on it's head there.

    You can't imagine....

    But if you were a Russian, or a citizen of the ex Soviet Union, or a citizen of any ex-Yugoslavian country for that matter, you'd accept it as a way of life because you wouldn't have the strength or the will to do anything about it, knowing that just by making it through another year, you've achieved something important!!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    No subject, I dont waste my time with the drivel put out by Fox. I rarely watch any mainstream media except to periodically take stock of the vast amount of contextual information they don't mention. That includes BBC as much as CNN.


    You missed a hoot that you would have enjoyed.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    wildchild wrote:
    In the four months I lived in Moscow, all those things and more besides happened to me or a close friend - so from personal experience, I'd say corruption is pretty prevalent. The Russians may well be honest in many ways, but I think only a minority would take a stand against corruption and refuse to pay a bribe.

    In the four months I lived in Moscow and Krasnodar (in the south)...

    Yes, corruption is prevalent BUT you are falling under the Western curse of seeing the word corruption and recoiling. It is not called greasing the wheels for nothing. Something you learn in Russia is that people accept it as just another facet of life. It's only because of the stupid and bigoted Western liberals coming in and telling people that this is wrong that problems arise. Let Russia work to Russia's standards and Russia's rules. We have no place to tell them what is right and what is wrong. After all, Russia could teach all Western countries a thing or two about proper morality...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I was born in the former Soviet Union but I completely agree that Russia is totally backwards. Everyday a black student gets killed in St. Petersburg. This doesn't have to occur. The Russian government just doesn't care. Russia is also completely homophobic. Plus the living conditions for Russians has gotten worse since Communist siezed to exist. I think that live under the Communists was a lot better for Russians. (the communists that were there after Stalin of course)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I was born in the former Soviet Union but I completely agree that Russia is totally backwards. Everyday a black student gets killed in St. Petersburg. This doesn't have to occur. The Russian government just doesn't care. Russia is also completely homophobic. Plus the living conditions for Russians has gotten worse since Communist siezed to exist. I think that live under the Communists was a lot better for Russians. (the communists that were there after Stalin of course)

    Some fair points. Slight exaggeration about the racist murders but I know what you mean. They've definitely got problems in that area.

    Yes perhaps Russia is totally backwards but certainly in the sphere of morality Russia is leagues ahead of anyone else. I think the whole world, particularly the Eastern bloc, is heading for a massive explosion to ready the world for the rebirth of the Orthodox Church. Just a thought.

    Life under the Commies was a lot better. The Russians I talked to were especially reminiscent of the 80's where it was exactly the right mix of the two systems. Of course it couldn't and didn't last but they all say it was a golden time.
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