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These "handicapped-access track" is not for people with disabilities, these tracks for children's prams.
But apparently the government is trying to advertise them as such (handicapped-access tracks,) otherwise why would this stuntman guy would even demonstrate the danger of it?
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For people with disabilities is almost no infrastructure in Russia. It's sad, but true. Russia generally pretty harsh country for life.
This is correct, and that's one of the reasons why I don't consider Putin's government as a viable option for improving the lot of your average Russian. His international politics ( that were partially coinciding with Russian national interests, but only UP TO A CERTAIN DEGREE ( always keep Donbass in mind)) brought him big popularity, helping people to overlook the internal problems.
Americans constantly trying to meddle into internal Russian affairs helped Putin a great deal in this respect, because his political opponents were always connected to the "external enemy," and thus very unpopular with general population. But now, with Americans putting their guns down and leaving the scene, it remains to be seen what kind of effect it's going to have on internal political life in Russia. It won't be so easy any longer for Putin's government to consolidate people and make them forget about their daily problems.
I remember that when the Soviet system was giving the first cracks, the civil society in Russia sprung to life. For the first time people were preoccupied for real with the ills of their society; homeless animals, handicapped people, the brutality in the army, the orphanages and so on. Of course after the infamous"economic reforms" all that has been squashed down. Now, instead of being suppressed ideologically, general population has been destroyed economically. Life became all about survival - not about improvements, so the civil society in Russia had no word and no means yet again.
I am watching today the increasing number of petitions directed at the government; often - with very angry words, and increasing number of people signing them. Yet again - it's about the social issues, that trouble Russians big time - well, at least the best part of them. It remains to be seen what's going to develop once the score between Russia and the US is settled when Trump moves into the White House.
Honorable mention here are the Europeans of course. We don't know yet the position THEY will take in the developing situation, and it might be a wild card that will add one more twist to the international affairs, where Russia is concerned. But whatever it is, there is not much we can do now, but to sit and wait at this point.
Guess who held a seminar in Helsinki for his bros a couple of days ago, preparing for a post-Putin Russia?
Khodorkovsky has no chance in a post-Putin Russia.
Better to ask yourself why are you trying to interfere in internal politics of Russia? How should the Russians evaluate it?
But apparently the government is trying to advertise them as such (handicapped-access tracks,) otherwise why would this stuntman guy would even demonstrate the danger of it?
I do not know. Nobody would ever think move down for it in a wheelchair. Perhaps he wanted to draw attention to the problem.
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Originally Posted by erasure
This is correct, and that's one of the reasons why I don't consider Putin's government as a viable option for improving the lot of your average Russian.
"The fish rots from the head" - this is one side of the problem.
But Putin can not personally install tracks. This is done by local officials and workers: average Russians and migrants. The mentality will change, but it is a gradual process.
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Originally Posted by erasure
I remember that when the Soviet system was giving the first cracks, the civil society in Russia sprung to life. For the first time people were preoccupied for real with the ills of their society; homeless animals, handicapped people, the brutality in the army, the orphanages and so on. Of course after the infamous"economic reforms" all that has been squashed down. Now, instead of being suppressed ideologically, general population has been destroyed economically. Life became all about survival - not about improvements, so the civil society in Russia had no word and no means yet again.
I am watching today the increasing number of petitions directed at the government; often - with very angry words, and increasing number of people signing them. Yet again - it's about the social issues, that trouble Russians big time - well, at least the best part of them.
The Russians do not survive today. If person are willing to work, then person will be able to earn money in Russia. It may not be very big, but sufficient for a normal life.
For example, these Oblomov's strings is a irony, but it very accurately reflect the mood of the majority of society:
(Sorry, I can't translate, it's difficult)
...Никогда мы так классно не жили,
Нас боятся и мы сильны.
Нам не нужно козлов, мужчина,
На просторах родной страны...(с)Вася Обломов
And civil society is also functioning. The media very often inform about society's problems, and people tries to help or take action. For example, recently the society widely discussed Khabarovsk's girls-flayer, etc.
This article is propaganda elements. For example: truck tax system, known as Platon, is the system to combat illegal traffic (avoiding payment of taxes). This provoked protests from truckers, but the average Russians do not support them. Article insincere.
It was embarrasing watching that Russian Aircraft Carrier yesterday, the whole of the English Channel was covered in smoke, I am just glad it didn't breakdown.
If it has any problems on the way back, I have some jump leads in the back of the car.
Manual military operation is impossible from Moscow. I think it was gray-haired men in civilian clothes. And they were with the rebels.
Who gives them weapons, tanks, fuel, salary? Who will sit there in the trenches for free? What Russia is spending budget for these unrecognized republics? Man outside you can cheat, but not me.
Who gives them weapons, tanks, fuel, salary? Who will sit there in the trenches for free? What Russia is spending budget for these unrecognized republics? Man outside you can cheat, but not me.
Who gives the ISIS weapons, fuel, salary? Where in the hell did the ISIS get enough of these items to expand like they did, while taking on Syria, Iraq, and the US? They have been in full battle mode for years.
As for Donbass, that was the economic stronghold of Ukraine, plenty of economic means to provide the things you stated.
Weapons - many Ukranian bases are in the Donbass, the rebels seized those weapons. Russia most likely is providing material support as well, but more likely high tech/intel items than weapons as they have plenty of light and heavy weapons from their own territory. I am sure Russia will provide weapon support if really needed.
Fuel - from trade, Russia does not have an embargo against Donbass, and Ukraine seems to trade plenty with Donbass as well because there are plenty of trucks going in/out of the area.
Salary - the Donbass economy is still functioning, there is trade with Ukraine and Russia. I am sure the black market has bloomed. If the ISIS can obtain funds, I imagine it is not difficult for the Donbass or any other groups in the world to do so.
I do not know what Russia is spending, I am sure it is not as much as Syria, and the Syrian campaign is minimal expenditure.
I do not know. Nobody would ever think move down for it in a wheelchair. Perhaps he wanted to draw attention to the problem.
"The fish rots from the head" - this is one side of the problem.
But Putin can not personally install tracks. This is done by local officials and workers: average Russians and migrants. The mentality will change, but it is a gradual process.
Take note Maxim - I didn't say "Putin." I say "Putin's government" instead. He is not the only one that represents that fish, that "rots from the head." There is the whole bunch of them there, rotting "from the head." And one hand washes the other hand, as the Russian proverb has it.
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The Russians do not survive today. If person are willing to work, then person will be able to earn money in Russia. It may not be very big, but sufficient for a normal life.
You think so?
Do not judge the general state of things by your own situation. There are plenty of people in Russia that just survive, barely.
And these people that you see standing there - do they not work? Of course they do, you can see all children are well-dressed and obviously well taken care of. By their parents that is, but clearly not by their government, that keeps on "optimizing" ( that's what they call it,) medical services in the country. Not everyone lives in Moscow Maxim, like you ( or my family for this matter.) This is one of the "less known and less important" cities in Russia; this is Rzhevsk. Just an example. But there are many other "less known and less important cities" in Russian Federation, with "people less important than Moscovites" that live in them. And I DO read the latest petitions directed to the government, petitions regarding the shortage of pain-killers for the oncology patients, children dying because of doctor's indifference - things like that.
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For example, these Oblomov's strings is a irony, but it very accurately reflect the mood of the majority of society:
(Sorry, I can't translate, it's difficult)
...Никогда мы так классно не жили,
Нас боятся и мы сильны.
Нам не нужно козлов, мужчина,
На просторах родной страны...(с)Вася Обломов
This is the irony - exactly that. Which means he is not taking seriously himself when he is singing "we never lived so awesomely before" to begin with.
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And civil society is also functioning. The media very often inform about society's problems, and people tries to help or take action.
No it DOES NOT. It is there all right, it's voicing its opinion, but it doesn't have any leverage to change the situation, because these people demanding changes ARE NOT represented on the governmental level at all. That's how the one-party system functions, as a one-way street; people on the top are preoccupied first of all with creation of laws that assure THEIR OWN WELL-BEING, and from the top, these laws are imposed on the rest of the society. But when the civil society is trying to demand the changes, there is no venue BACK to the governmental level. Other then "talking about it" and writing petitions. This of course people are allowed to do, because - who cares? Let them blow off the steam. Particularly when even the mass protests should be agreed upon with the government in advance, in order to "avoid the lawless Ukrainian Maidan."
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For example, recently the society widely discussed Khabarovsk's girls-flayer, etc.
Of course the society "discussed it." As much as society discussed the brutality towards the polar bear, that was first "befriended , and then the explosives have been slipped into its food a year ago.
What happened after all these discussions, remember? That's right, nothing. No laws were changed, the perpetrators got fines, ( if any,) and that was the end of it. THIS time around of course, ( with these two girls in Khabarovsk and their deeds) the society is sounding the alarm, and it MIGHT get the government's attention, because this latest cruelty to animals is already officially linked to an attempted murder. And, again - the number of tortured animals was big, they were taken from the rescue centers, where people spent a lot of effort and their own money to give homeless animals a chance at life, so even when the authorities were trying to initially hush the whole thing, ( as usual,) there were enough of Russians already, that wanted to make the whole thing a VERY PUBLIC affair. Yet again - how the authorities will decide to act in response is still a question. That's precisely the situation of a non-functioning civil society, in terms of the absence of a two-way street between the society and the government.
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This article is propaganda elements. For example: truck tax system, known as Platon, is the system to combat illegal traffic (avoiding payment of taxes). This provoked protests from truckers, but the average Russians do not support them. Article insincere.
That's because the "average Russian" is most likely clueless what this "Platon" is all about, if he/she listens to the state-sponsored TV programs and the way these programs describe it. They probably describe the protests as an attempt to "avoid payment of taxes," ( which you repeat here,) but in fact it is not true. You can read here what PLATON is REALLY all about, and why exactly the long-distance truck drivers were up in arms against it. (I'll have to translate a bit, since the article is in Russian
"There is one more solid reason; ( for the protest) - the system of Russian taxation. With implementation of "Platon," the long distance truck drivers are paying now for the road constructions THREE (!) fold. First one - as the regular tax on their transportation, then as a surcharge on gas everytime they fill their gas tank at the gas station, and now - for every kilometer of usage of the Federal highway.
In conclusion, I have to add that "Platon" is a privately-owned system of payments. The money collected for the road repairs will travel through the pockets of the Rottenberg's family ( oligarch Arkadiy Rottenberg is a friend of Putin.)
You can come to your own conclusions, obviously."
And of course when " average Russians don't support" the drivers protest, the "average Russians" don't understand that when the transportation business is hurt, this will lead to increase in pricing for many goods for the very "average Russians."
( Of course "average Russians" most likely hate "business" overall and for a good reason, however these drivers are hard-working people, their money don't come easy, their business is not the same as slimy Khodorovsky's type.)
So when the Guardian writes that
"The development should be understood as a reaction to the policies of the president, Vladimir Putin, which have consistently prioritized the interests of business elites over the needs of society.And as those business elites are hit by the financial crash, they are increasingly trying to squeeze more money from Russian citizens" - it's right on all accounts.
Last edited by erasure; 11-17-2016 at 07:38 PM..
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) medical services in the country. Not everyone lives in Moscow Maxim, like you ( or my family for this matter.) This is one of the "less known and less important" cities in Russia; this is Rzhevsk. Just an example. But there are many other "less known and less important cities" in Russian Federation, with "people less important than Moscovites" that live in them. And I DO read the latest petitions directed to the government, petitions regarding the shortage of pain-killers for the oncology patients, children dying because of doctor's indifference - things like that. 
