Other Murders

[kuranes]

Who are these other guys mentioned as a "by the way" at the end of the news story on the spy who died from Polonium?

Time Magazine follows the trail of Polonium 210.

Key excerpt ? near the article?s conclusion:

Meanwhile, there is the light?uncomfortably glaring?that the case sheds on modern Russia. Vladimir Ryzhkov, one of the few independent liberals left in the Duma, says, ?The point is not whether Putin is responsible for these concrete murders. The point is that he is responsible for having created a system that is ruled by fear and violence.? Ryzhkov claims that the armed forces, Interior Ministry, FSB and those who have retired from them to join private security services ?are running this country, own its economy and use violence and murder as habitual management techniques.? A U.S. businessman in Moscow seconds the argument. ?While you in the press are obsessed by Politkovskaya and Litvinenko, you?ve missed that half a dozen major oil executives and another half-dozen major bankers have been murdered in the last few months.?

[PenguinHunter]

I don't know as much about Russia but a friend of mine lived in Bulgaria for some time two summers ago and she told me about the (very similar) circumstances there.

Most of the government is mafia run or mafia influenced. In the short time she was there, two new officials aiming to reform the corrupt police force were murdered. It's at a point where it barely makes the news sometimes. People she would ask about these things just say in a monotone voice, "Yeah. Mafia. Is still problem."

Back to the Russians: One of the bankers would be Kozlov (http://www.mosnews.com/news/2006/09/14/foughtcrime.shtml) and just a quick Google search brings up this one (http://www.russiablog.org/2006/12/business_executive_killed_in_s.php)

[omnirook]

Who are these other guys mentioned as a "by the way" at the end of the news story on the spy who died from Polonium?

Time Magazine follows the trail of Polonium 210.

Key excerpt ? near the article?s conclusion:

Meanwhile, there is the light?uncomfortably glaring?that the case sheds on modern Russia. Vladimir Ryzhkov, one of the few independent liberals left in the Duma, says, ?The point is not whether Putin is responsible for these concrete murders. The point is that he is responsible for having created a system that is ruled by fear and violence.? Ryzhkov claims that the armed forces, Interior Ministry, FSB and those who have retired from them to join private security services ?are running this country, own its economy and use violence and murder as habitual management techniques.? A U.S. businessman in Moscow seconds the argument. ?While you in the press are obsessed by Politkovskaya and Litvinenko, you?ve missed that half a dozen major oil executives and another half-dozen major bankers have been murdered in the last few months.?


You know that Russia is near and dear to me because of Nicki, my ex-pat mate.

Just where the "liberal" Duma member was living before Putin, I don't know.
His statements would imply that Russia was free from such things before Putin; such an implication is nonsense.

Now, as I've said elsewhere in the Forum, Nicki is a descendant of the former Russian nobility, so you know that he is prejudiced against any post-imperial government in Russia, but he believes that Putin has been a marked improvement, especially over Yeltsin. (Of course, Putin's ancestral ties to the former nobility is not well-known in the West, is not much talked about outside of "White Russian" circles.) At any rate, Putin represents what Nicki believes Russia needs: a "stalin" - a man of steel.

"Americans believe that everybody want democracy. Americans don't have democracy for themselves, but they eager to export it and to sell it to others. For nearly 2 millennia, Russians was ruled over by autocrat. The little man, he never think about such thing as government. Then the pig bolshevik come and murder Tsar - and take his place - and treat his people bad, like never before, many Russian people miss Tsar, sorry he gone - but at least little man still don't have to worry about nothing. Then, over night, Russian people supposed to become like American people and drink Coca-Cola and sit at home cozy in front of television. Our whole way of life, down to our extended family, is supposed to go, like it was nothing. Russia become Wild West where people is killing in streets. Yes, there is things in store now - but who has money to buy - except for gangster who shoot people like they was nothing? What good is it to walk past Gucci outlet if all you can do is look at Gucci outlet? Meanwhile, one million people is homeless in Moscow, on streets, freezing in winter - and not even bread to eat now. At least w/the pig-dog communist, there was warm place to go and sleep and eat cabbage and potato soup, some pickled herring now and then. Putin, he come in, he big gangster, he get people off streets, he have worst scums rounded up and shot - he send rich Jew crooks to England, where they belong - and he become big godfather for whole country. The people feel better now. Food on table and little man is safe at home again. Who care if Putin have 20 asshole journalist shot every day? Who need big mouth causing more trouble when one strong man can put bread on table - and make America fear and respect Russia again? Russian people want strong leader."