Russia Killing, Maiming and Silencing with Impunity

I got this incisive comment from a reader:

As a matter of fact , the russians have plenty of good reasons to feel treatened ,beside NATO, an organisation made to fight the russians , camping 100 miles from st.petersburg , the constant creeping closer in georgia and ukraine ,the unilateral U.S. gov decision to rip the A.B.M. treaty , the trade sanction slapped on two of the biggest russian arm exporters ,the declared intention of the pentagon to develop a new generation of nuclear weapons , the deliberate insults of the president for the fifty aniversary of the victory of WW2 ,of the V.P. at riga last year or bates last month ...... Yeeh ,sure the russians are unreasonable

Yes, yes, Russia feels threatened, that's the ticket. Any moment now, the U.S. will be invading Russia. Or could it be that Putin and Russians want to return to the glory days and don't like an other power messing up their mission to dominate the Eastern block again? It couldn't possibly be that Russia is flush with oil cash and seizing the moment to re-assert itself aggressively in the world. It couldn't be the mythic Russian pride is still wounded and looking for salvation. It couldn't be that. It must be this:

Meanwhile the national security council said Russia is to adopt a new military doctrine in response to the "strengthening" of NATO forces, in the latest sign of worsening relations between the two sides.

"The analysis of the international situation shows that recourse to military force is increasingly the policy of leading world states," the council said in an announcement that the new doctrine was in preparation.

It has to be Bush's fault. That's exactly why they are killing reporters, assassinating enemies and generally acting Cold War-ish. It's PRESIDENT BUSH'S FAULT!!! Silly me! I should have known the answer to answer all answers by now. Whatever will the world do when Bush leaves office?

Somewhere, deep down, tucked away underneath their loathing for George Bush, in a secret place where the lights of smart dinner-party conversation and clever debating-society repartee never shine, the growing hordes of America-bashers must dread the moment he leaves office.

When President Bush goes into the Texas sunset, and especially if he is replaced by an enlightened, world-embracing Democrat, their one excuse, their sole explanation for all human suffering in the world will disappear too. And they may just find that the world is not as simple as they thought it was.

As usual, the anti-Bush, anti-American sentiment is just a distraction from Russia's, Putin's, nefarious actions. I have catalogued Russia's steady march back into totalitarianism here. And just this week:

"In many countries, murder has become the easiest, cheapest and most effective way of silencing troublesome reporting, and the more the killers get away with it the more the spiral of death is forced upwards," Rodney Pinder, Director of INSI, said in the report.

Another couple of reporters have mysterious interactions with five-story windows and bullets and death and destruction. And while the reported motive is robbery, his wife disagrees:

In a brief interview at the couple's Adelphi home, Elizabeth Joyal said reports that Paul Joyal's wallet and briefcase were taken were false. She didn't know of any possible motive for Thursday's shooting outside their home in what she said was a normally safe area.
"We really have no idea what the reason was," said Mrs. Joyal, but added that "it could easily have been a random act of violence."
A law-enforcement official familiar with the investigation said the wallet was later found in Mr. Joyal's car, and the briefcase has been accounted for but did not provide details. The official requested anonymity because the probe is ongoing.

And the cause of these killings? Why President Bush, of course! It makes so much sense.

Between China, Russia and Iran, I hope U.S. military folks are considering bulking up our armed forces. Maybe someday the world will be filled with robot fighters and a streamlined force of gamers will be the new soldiers. Until then, the U.S. needs more numbers, more technology and more force. You know, just in case Russia isn't just acting defensively. Just in case.