Re: "Springtime (For Putin) In Russia"


<ostap_bender_1900@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:e39b1eb9-b91e-46fb-88d2-cd10e9bf66a1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
On Feb 27, 4:18 am, "Pçteris Cedriòð (Peteris Cedrins)"
<cedr...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
From the _Forbes_, for educational purposes only.

Commentary
Springtime (For Putin) In Russia
Heidi Brown 02.27.08, 6:00 AM ET

In the world of the Russia Today news channel, the Chechen capital,
Grozny, is a leafy, clean city on the mend--with an affable,
democratic family man at its helm. The secession of Kosovo, ancient
territory of Serbia, unleash Muslim extremism and a "Pandora's box" of
secessions from Canada to Cyprus. Oh, and Russia's alcoholism is
nothing compared to the thuggish behavior of young British and
Scandinavian drinkers.

This 24-hour, English-language channel is broadcast on cable stations
in the U.S. and via satellite to audiences around the world. It's been
operating since 2005, but as Russia's widely criticized presidential
elections approach (and its image abroad is deteriorating) the
government-funded channel is evidently increasing efforts to charm its
foreign audience.

Since the channel was founded by the mouthpiece of the Russian state,
RIA-Novosti, and is funded by the government, there are no
commercials, though between segments, the name of a prominent Russian
company, such as state-owned Rosneft, or, more puzzlingly, the
oligarch-owned Renova, appears on-screen for 30 seconds or so.

The channel has a tall order. Even though Vladimir Putin can point to
8% annual GDP growth in Russia, on average, since 2000 and a rapidly
expanding middle class, Russia's image is shaped largely by negative
stories of political and business pressure. A few that come to mind
are the recent travails of Royal Dutch/Shell and Exxon in Sakhalin, as
well as the seizure of millions of dollars of Motorola (nyse: MOT -
news - people ) mobile phones on the Russian border last year. And
Gazprom, which features Kremlin officials on its board, seems to
encapsulate the coziness between government and business that is
worrisome to foreigners.


What is her point? That Russia Today doesn't show enough criticism of
those mentioned Putin's anti-free-market actions? I have never watched
Russia Today, so I don't know if it's true.

But what I have seen a lot of are American news channels like CNN and
Fox News. And in all my watching them in the past 2 or 3 years, I have
never seen them mention even once such major facts as USA's illegal
and insane economic blockade of Cuba, or the stil-continuing near-
embargo (Jackson-Vanik) on the import of Russian products into USA
using the deceiving claim that Russia still doesn't let Jews emigrate.

****************

Russkie products should indeed stay in the land of russkies.
The consumers over there live but for a short time anyway and
thus product safety is much less of a concern.

As to Jackson-Vanik - if you are indeed a Jew - then
I agree that serious mistakes have been made.

Best - - Henry


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