The State of Affairs in Russia

[Syt]

 

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/news/article/russia-has-older-democracy-than-us-and-first-black-general-proves-it--elections-chief/530309.html

Russia Has Older Democracy Than U.S. and First Black General Proves It — Elections Chief

The head of Russia's Central Elections Commission has claimed that Russia has an older democracy than the U.S. because Russia appointed its first black general two centuries before the first African-American made that rank.

"When I meet my colleagues from the U.S. and they get too proud of their democratic achievements, I ask them what to me is a simple question: 'In what year did the U.S. Army get its first black general?'" head of the elections commission Vladimir Churov told state-run TASS news agency on Saturday — a day before Russia's regional elections.

Most Americans struggle to give a precise answer "but in any case nobody claims that such a general appeared before the end of World War II," Churov was cited as saying.

In fact, the first African-American to be appointed general in the U.S. Armed Forces was Benjamin O. Davis, Sr., who made brigadier general in 1940 — a year before the U.S. was drawn into the war and five years before it ended.

Churov said he shows his conversation partners an image of Russia's first black general, Abram Petrovich Gannibal, who, according to the elections chief, was appointed in 1740, TASS reported.

Gannibal, the son of an African aristocrat, was reportedly kidnapped as a child and presented as a gift to Peter the Great, who was impressed with the boy's talents, provided him with a good education and helped advance his career.

Gannibal made the rank of military general sometime after the tsar's daughter, Empress Elizabeth, came to power in 1741.

Churov said the example usually ends all argument on which of the two countries has a longer history of democracy, TASS reported — presumably to Russia's advantage.

Churov did not elaborate on his definition of "democracy" and did not clarify how the appointment of an Afro-Russian as a military general under Russia's monarchy proved the country to be more democratic.

Nowadays in Russia, Gannibal is known less for his military achievements and more for being the great-grandfather of one of Russia's most iconic literary figures — poet and author Alexander Pushkin.

So the head of the election commission has no idea what democracy is. I shouldn't be surprised at this point.

[Valmy]

France: A continuous Democracy since 1793!

[KRonn]

Heh, how's that "oldest" democracy Potemkin theme working out for them??    

[Razgovory]

Well it is amusing that they have no concept of what the word means.  I always though the DDR was named as such as some sort of cynical ploy or perhaps a sick joke.  In truth, they just don't know what words mean.

[DGuller]

I guess Africa is not just the cradle of humankind, but also the cradle of democracy.

[celedhring]

So the Russian concept of democracy is having an absolute but well-meaning ruler that puts "common" people in office, not the common people actually electing those offices.

[The Brain]

I'm glad Sweden didn't send aid to the Russians during WW2.

[Grey Fox]

It has the sound of being anything that includes/is run by more than just White People.

[Eddie Teach]

Diversity and democracy do sound alike.

[Valmy]

It has the sound of being anything that includes/is run by more than just White People.

Well in Russia it included and was run by a singular white person so not sure that works out.

[Admiral Yi]

Do you guys ever come across articles in which a Russian official says something which is *not* loony tunes?

[Norgy]

Yeah, the Russian embassy in London trolled Cameron pretty hard on Twitter over his Corbyn remarks.

[Liep]

Yeah, the Russian embassy in London trolled Cameron pretty hard on Twitter over his Corbyn remarks.

It wouldn't make headlines any more, but they have a point. It's tiresome when politicians do this but it must work because they do it everywhere.

[Norgy]

I like Corbyn.

[Syt]

http://www.rt.com/news/315337-center-war-games-russia/

Russia simulates international conflict in 'biggest war drills since Cold War'

More than 95,000 troops belonging to Russia and its regional allies have started the annual Center exercises that span from the Volga to Siberia.

"Center-2015 is the final step in the armed forces' military preparations during 2015," said a statement from the ministry of defense, which said that it conducted nearly 80 military drills in August alone, as well as an unannounced inspection of the troops involved in the exercises last week.

READ MORE: Russia is ready to establish airbases in neighboring countries – Russian PM

The war games will engage more than 7,000 pieces of armor, up to 170 planes and 20 warships. 20 different training ranges will be used as troops belonging to all security branches, including border guards, FSB and drug police, will make maneuvers ranging up to 6,000 km. The exercises are scheduled to finish on September 20.

"What we are seeing now has not been seen since the Cold War – late 1970s and early 1980s. The army isn't just testing out new vehicles, equipment and techniques, but is using ever greater resources for doing so," military historian Vyacheslav Filatov told Russia's army-sponsored Zvezda channel.

Kazakhstan will provide troops while other members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), which also include Belarus, Armenia, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, is sending officers to observe and take charge of segments of the drill.

The scenario for the war games sees the allied army attempting to localize an international threat coming from central Asia. Most troops will be purposefully operating in unfamiliar terrain, and there will be simulations of the need to treat of huge numbers of casualties, with "wounded" troops being delivered to mobile hospitals.

READ MORE: US launches biggest NATO airborne drills since Cold War to 'enhance security & stability' in Europe

"While these maneuvers are defensive in their nature, NATO will be looking on with concern," military expert Sergey Fedorov told Zvezda. "They are astonished by the scale of the war games – it is something they have rarely seen, and would never practice themselves, restricting themselves only to limited situational drills."

Also starting Monday, about 1,000 troops from Latvia, with the same number being supplied by NATO allies, including US, UK and Germany, begun conventional training exercises in the country. A day earlier the alliance finished Swift Response 15, the biggest military exercises in Europe since the collapse of the Berlin Wall, involving about 5,000 soldiers.

Earlier in the month, the US deployed two MQ-1 Predator long-range unmanned surveillance drones and 70 airmen to Latvia on a training mission.

READ MORE: Pentagon deploys drones to Latvia to maintain 'security & stability'

In May, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia jointly asked for permanent NATO bases, alleging that Russia has the capacity to invade them within four hours of ordering an attack. Moscow lashed out at the move, saying it contravenes the 1997 NATO-Russia Founding Act.