Who Is Mr. Putin?

Vladimir Putin is still a mystery man for the rest of the world. You either love him or hate him. The great majority of Russians certainly support him: they like his tough macho image, his flat unsophisticated jokes and the fact that he alone "stands up to the West" and "protects Mother Russia". Whether those statements reflect the truth or not is subject to debate.

In this article, we will examine who is Mr. Putin and why Russians love him so much (hint: for the same reason they love Stalin and hate Gorbachev).

More after the jump.

The Truth About the War

http://www.kasparov.ru/material.php?id=55551616BA794

If there is one thing that gets over-exploited by the Kremlin propaganda, it is the victory in the WWII. Russians do not know much about the WWII, only about the part that happened after Germany attacked Russia. It is called "The Great Patriotic War." Sadly, they know about the war only what is printed in their propaganda-laced history textbooks.

Every May, year after year, Russians are bombarded by the same messages, "We won!" If you ever get to argue with a Russian person about the WWII results, eventually it will get to the point, "We, Russians, won the Second World War!"This is the final statement, after which no valid arguments or any amount of proof can change your opponent's view. For most Russians, living 75 years later, winning that war is almost a religious experience, and most definitely, somewhat sacral. And you have the Soviet (and now Putin's) propaganda to thank for it.

Russians are too brainwashed to actually examine what exactly happened during 1936-1945, why did the war start and at what cost Russians won. Let's examine the facts and answer the following question, "Why did the Soviets win the war?" 

The answer is horrifying, but not surprising. 

More after the jump.

Corruption: The Head of a Rotten Fish

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There was not a moment in Russian history when Russia was free of corruption. Corruption, bribes, and buying favors are three major pillars of Russian state that keep its economy, politics, and social pyramid stable. Without corruption, Russia will no longer exist. Or it is just going to be a different country altogether - a free, unabashed place where people don't have to feel like second or even third-class citizens. Something like Canada, perhaps.

In this article, we will examine the effect of corruption on Russian society and the reason why corruption is so widespread in Russia. 

More after the jump.