The State of Affairs in Russia

[celedhring]

That "art exhibit" looks like a collection of Russian shopped internet memes. If so, I'm eagerly waiting for MOMA's upcoming lolcat exhibit.

[Tonitrus]

http://money.cnn.com/2014/08/27/news/companies/jack-daniels-russia/

MAH EXPORTS   

Jack Daniel's getting smacked in Russia
By Alanna Petroff  @AlannaPetroff August 27, 2014: 12:00 PM ET

LONDON (CNNMoney)
The company behind Jack Daniel's whiskey is under pressure in Russia as Cold War-style tensions make it increasingly difficult for Western brands to operate.
Brown-Forman (BFB), also known for its Southern Comfort drinks line, warned Wednesday about its Russian business.

"The geopolitical environment remains fragile, particularly in Russia, where iconic American brands are experiencing increased scrutiny," the company said.
This comes just days after Russian state media reported that the country's consumer watchdog found insect poison inside samples of Jack Daniel's Tennessee Honey whiskey. Batches of the whiskey were reportedly withdrawn from stores.
Brown-Forman said it "vehemently" denied that there was anything harmful in its products and said it had not been contacted by Russian officials about any issues.

[DontSayBanana]

It's Russia- somebody at the store probably took a swig and just filled the bottle back up with whatever they thought smelled closest to the real deal.

[CountDeMoney]

Russian mint jubilee: Prestone antifreeze

[Syt]

http://en.ria.ru/politics/20141109/195371776/Putin-Says-Cooperation-Between-Russia-China-Important-for.html

Putin Says Cooperation Between Russia, China Important for International Law, Stability

BEIJING, November 9 (RIA Novosti) - Russia and China should stick to the existing line of cooperation, despite current geopolitical changes as it is important for the international law and stability, Russia's President Vladimir Putin said Sunday.

"Cooperation between Russia and China is extremely important for keeping the world in line with the international law, making it [the world] more stable," Putin stated during the talks with the Chinese President Xi Jinping held on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Beijing.

The Chinese leader accentuated the importance for both countries to adhere to the chosen line of cooperation, to expand and deepen it, despite the current geopolitical situation.

On Thursday Russian President Vladimir Putin said that increasing cooperation with China, including in the energy sector, is one of Russia's top foreign policy priorities.

The APEC summit is taking place this weekend in Beijing, China and will be followed by the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting (AELM) on Monday and Tuesday next week. The two meetings will bring together 21 nations to discuss economic issues as well as joining forces to respond to the Ebola virus epidemic, the situation in Ukraine and other ongoing issues.

I wonder at what point Putin will realize that in this partnership Russia is Mussolini's Italy to China's Nazi Germany.

[KRonn]

MOSCOW — An advertising ban on Russian cable and satellite TV stations could decimate regional television broadcasting from the suburbs of the capital to the far reaches of Siberia, leaving the country almost entirely dependent on state media for news and information.

The law, which will prohibit commercial advertisements on paid cable and satellite channels starting next year, is one of many measures Russian authorities have adopted in recent months to tighten control over the flow of information, reduce foreign money in Russian media and force journalists to hew closer to a pro-Kremlin line. 

Sweet. That'll work well for the Russians given that they support this tyrant so strongly, and fall too heavily already for the propaganda and BS put out by the government. They'll eventually figure it out, as they get closer and closer to Soviet era rule. Younger folks are going to have to relearn what the previous generations already know, and I'm sure this all looks so familiar to those earlier generations who lived under the Soviets.

[celedhring]

CNN has just announced it is pulling out of Russia because of this new law.

[Syt]

It appears that en.ria.ru now reroutes to http://www.sputniknews.com/

http://www.sputniknews.com/russia/20141110/1014584450.html

New media brand Sputnik, designed by International Information Agency Rossiya Segodnya for a global audience, will give an alternative viewpoint on the world events, Rossiya Segodnya Director General Dmitry Kiselev said at the presentation of the Sputnik group Monday.
MOSCOW, November 10 (Sputnik) – New media brand Sputnik, designed by International Information Agency Rossiya Segodnya for a global audience, will give an alternative viewpoint on the world events, Rossiya Segodnya Director General Dmitry Kiselev said at the presentation of the Sputnik group Monday.

"We will verify information, our information will be reliable. We will provide alternative interpretations that are, undoubtedly, in demand around the world. We think that the world is tired of the unipolar point of view... We believe that the basis of such a multicolored and multipolar world is international law, a world by rule," Kiselev said.

New media brand Sputnik, with modern multimedia centers in dozens of countries, went live on November 10. Sputnik's multimedia centers, located in major world capitals, will maintain their own websites and broadcast from local radio stations.

In 2015, Sputnik is expected to broadcast in 30 languages, with over 800 hours of radio programming daily, covering over 130 cities in 34 countries. Sputnik's exclusive content is designed for a global audience of billions of people who are tired of aggressive propaganda promoting a unipolar world and want a different perspective.

They do report that CNN is pulling out of Russia and that CNN want to assess the new media laws (though not explaining what those are), while also saying that CNN didn't say why they pulled out. RT, ITAR-TASS and RIA/Sputnik have no articles about the change in cable TV laws which is strange, because they're normally up front about it and put some nationalist spin of defending against bad influences on it.

[Valmy]

What are they talking about?  Every single news organization in the entire world agrees on everything?  What the Russians say is just so wacky I have a hard time understanding it.

[jimmy olsen]

http://en.ria.ru/politics/20141109/195371776/Putin-Says-Cooperation-Between-Russia-China-Important-for.html

Putin Says Cooperation Between Russia, China Important for International Law, Stability

BEIJING, November 9 (RIA Novosti) - Russia and China should stick to the existing line of cooperation, despite current geopolitical changes as it is important for the international law and stability, Russia's President Vladimir Putin said Sunday.

"Cooperation between Russia and China is extremely important for keeping the world in line with the international law, making it [the world] more stable," Putin stated during the talks with the Chinese President Xi Jinping held on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Beijing.

The Chinese leader accentuated the importance for both countries to adhere to the chosen line of cooperation, to expand and deepen it, despite the current geopolitical situation.

On Thursday Russian President Vladimir Putin said that increasing cooperation with China, including in the energy sector, is one of Russia's top foreign policy priorities.

The APEC summit is taking place this weekend in Beijing, China and will be followed by the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting (AELM) on Monday and Tuesday next week. The two meetings will bring together 21 nations to discuss economic issues as well as joining forces to respond to the Ebola virus epidemic, the situation in Ukraine and other ongoing issues.

I wonder at what point Putin will realize that in this partnership Russia is Mussolini's Italy to China's Nazi Germany.

If the USSR had survived, maybe he could pull off Fascist Italy. Putin's Russia is more like Horthy's Hungary in comparison to China.

[Eddie Teach]

Russia still has nukes and lots and lots of natural resources.

[Syt]

What are they talking about?  Every single news organization in the entire world agrees on everything?

Western media = controlled by CIA/NSA (they had a few articles on that with some ex-journo nutjobs to corroborate their stories) and making one sided propaganda against Russia.

[Valmy]

What are they talking about?  Every single news organization in the entire world agrees on everything?

Western media = controlled by CIA/NSA (they had a few articles on that with some ex-journo nutjobs to corroborate their stories) and making one sided propaganda against Russia.

How do they know Russian media is not also controlled by the CIA/NSA?  Maybe Putin is a CIA/NSA puppet.

[Martinus]

Russia still has nukes and lots and lots of natural resources.

Having lots of natural resources does not help you when they are very cheap. And having nukes does not help you if you do not have money to keep them operational.

[Martinus]

It appears that en.ria.ru now reroutes to http://www.sputniknews.com/

http://www.sputniknews.com/russia/20141110/1014584450.html

New media brand Sputnik, designed by International Information Agency Rossiya Segodnya for a global audience, will give an alternative viewpoint on the world events, Rossiya Segodnya Director General Dmitry Kiselev said at the presentation of the Sputnik group Monday.
MOSCOW, November 10 (Sputnik) – New media brand Sputnik, designed by International Information Agency Rossiya Segodnya for a global audience, will give an alternative viewpoint on the world events, Rossiya Segodnya Director General Dmitry Kiselev said at the presentation of the Sputnik group Monday.

"We will verify information, our information will be reliable. We will provide alternative interpretations that are, undoubtedly, in demand around the world. We think that the world is tired of the unipolar point of view... We believe that the basis of such a multicolored and multipolar world is international law, a world by rule," Kiselev said.

New media brand Sputnik, with modern multimedia centers in dozens of countries, went live on November 10. Sputnik's multimedia centers, located in major world capitals, will maintain their own websites and broadcast from local radio stations.

In 2015, Sputnik is expected to broadcast in 30 languages, with over 800 hours of radio programming daily, covering over 130 cities in 34 countries. Sputnik's exclusive content is designed for a global audience of billions of people who are tired of aggressive propaganda promoting a unipolar world and want a different perspective.

They do report that CNN is pulling out of Russia and that CNN want to assess the new media laws (though not explaining what those are), while also saying that CNN didn't say why they pulled out. RT, ITAR-TASS and RIA/Sputnik have no articles about the change in cable TV laws which is strange, because they're normally up front about it and put some nationalist spin of defending against bad influences on it.

Their slogan should be "Alternative news for alternative reality"