Does Satan weed out the crop? Does he force as many people as he can to worship him and receive the spiritual mark of the beast (666) on their soul located at the persons forehead or hand? Does he do this through the NWO / Nazis Within the Orders / Mafia’s / Illuminated Masons secret ceremony of transcendental meditation performed with witchcraft / demonic forces? Is it through the distribution of occult games and or practices into society that this underworld Satanic Secret society has learned how to place people into spiritual bondage / manifesting witchcraft to the point of enslaving society in this manner? After Satan forces as many victims as he can to receive this spiritual mark does he work through humanity by the manifestation of the spirit of sin and his demonic powers, through his minions, to create / manifest war in a global scale? Does he manipulate humanity to come against Jerusalem and others countries with the intent to try and end the world reaping his crop of the dammed / New World Order (AKA the destroyer)? Would that be spite or what? Does Jesus return to earth in order to stop the world from ending setting up his 1000 year millennium reign? Is this because of the chosen elect still to be born, those god fore knew since the begging? Does Christ return to reward the prophets and those who fear his name both great and small and to destroy those who destroy the earth?

Technorati Tags: Purpose, Satans, What

        

ive been hearing lots of rumors about gears of war 3 on ps3 is this true and mgs4 on xbox 360 which i dought i dont thing they have enough space to put it on xbox 360. ive one $5000 dollars the other day in the casion over hear in chicago. and i bought me an hdtv sony plasma and im going to get many video games to day i have about 21 games at the moment please recemend any good games.
and also what do you thing will be better mafia 2 or the godfather 2.and if you have time can u give most of the ps3 exclusives for 2009 thanks!

Technorati Tags: Details, Exclusive, More, Read

        

which would be easiest 2 write a report on?(off timeline)
(900 BC) Iron Age: communities established in river valleys in Etruria
(800 BC) Greeks settled in Southern Italy and Sicily
(753 BC) Legendary founding of Rome by Romulus
(715-673 BC) Numa Pompilius reigned as second King of Rome
(616 BC) Etruscans became rulers of Rome
(509 BC) Last Etruscan king forced out of Rome; Roman Empire established
(499 BC) Romans defeated Latins and Etruscans in Battle of Lake Regillus
(400 BC) Gauls settled along Po River valley
(390 BC) Gauls sacked Rome
(312 BC) Via Appia and Aqua Appia aqueducts built
(265 BC) Romans took over last Etruscan city
(264-241 BC) First Punic War occurred
(237 BC) Romans moved into Corsica and Sardinia
(218 BC) Second Punic War; Hannibal crossed Alps
(216 BC) Romans defeated at Battle of Cannae
(191 BC) Romans captured Gaulish territory
(168 BC) Third Macedonian War ended
(146 BC) Third Punic War ended
(49 BC) Caesar forces Pompey out of Rome
(44 BC) Julius Caesar murdered; Roman Republic brought to an end
(31 BC) Marc Antony defeated at Battle of Actium
(30 BC) Mark Antony and Cleopatra committed suicide in Egypt
(27 BC) Augustus became first Roman Emperor
(AD 79) Pompeii and Herculaneum destroyed by eruption of Mt. Vesuvius
(80) Coliseum hosted first games
(125) Pantheon rebuilt by Hadrian
(161-180) Marcus Aurelius reigned
(216) Baths at Caracalla completed
(270) Aurelian Wall built
(320) The first St. Peter’s church built
(324) Constantine became ruler of Rome
(476) Odoacer sacks Rome; Roman Empire ends
(485) Atilla the Hun invaded Italy
(535) Byzantine Empire took over most of Italy
(564) Lombards invaded Italy
(774) Charlemagne defeated Lombards, subsequently conquered all of Italy
(800) Charlemagne crowned Holy Roman Emperor
(878) Saracens took control of Sicily
(962) Otto the Great crowned Emperor
(1084) Normans pillaged Rome
(1139) Naples incorporated into Sicily
(1155) Frederick Barbarossa crowned Holy Roman Emperor
(1198) Frederick II named King of Sicily
(1204) Constantinople pillaged
(1220) Frederick II crowned Holy Roman Emperor
(1271) Marco Polo left for China
(1281) Sicilian Vespers fought against French in Palermo, 2,000 French soldiers killed
(1296) Construction on the Duomo in Florence began
(1347-49) Black Death pandemic occurred; hundreds of thousands died
(1347) Cola di Rienzo tried to reestablish Roman Republic
(1354) Cola di Rienzo killed in Rome
(1442) Naples captured by Alfonso of Aragon
(1458-64) War between Aragon and Anjou over Naples
(1494) Charles VIII of France invaded Italy
(1512) Michelangelo completed ceiling of Sistine Chapel
(1519) Charles I of Spain became Emperor Charles V of Holy Roman Empire
(1541) Michelangelo completed Last Judgment in Sistine Chapel
(1542) Inquisition established in Rome
(1600) Giordano Bruno burned to death by Roman Inquisition for heresy
(1626) St. Peter’s in Rome consecrated
(1647) Fruit tax caused revolt in Naples
(1669) Island of Crete taken by Turks; Mount Etna erupts and lava flow destroyed over a dozen villages
(1693) Earthquake in Sicily killed over 60,000, destroyed 45 cities
(1737) Medici dynasty in Florence comes to an end
(1748) Excavation of Pompeii began
(1778) La Scala opened in Milan
(1783) Earthquake in Calabria killed 50,000
(1796) Napoleon conquered northern Italy, became part of French Empire
(1805) Napoleon declared himself Italian Emperor
(1814) Napoleon abdicated his throne; Italy divided into small kingdoms
(1840) First major railroad links established
(1820-50) Small revolutions occurred in kingdoms; Venice, Rome, Tuscany declared themselves Republics
(1849) Republic of Rome taken over by French troops
(1861) Kingdom of Italy established excluding Rome, Venice, San Marino; King Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia became King of Italy
(1866) Italy obtained Venice from Austria
(1870) Italian forces occupied Rome
(1871) Rome named capital of Italy
(1908) Earthquake in Messina Strait caused tsunami, over 200,000 killed
(1915) Italy joined World War I on side of Allies
(1918) Allies won World War I
(1922) Fascists took control of Rome; Benito Mussolini named Prime Minister
(1925) Mussolini became Dictator of Italy
(1929) State of Vatican City created by Lateran Treaty
(1936) Mussolini formed anti-Communist Axis with Germany
(1940) Italy entered World War II as ally of Germany
(1943) Italy surrendered to Allied forces; Mussolini forced to resign; Italy declared war on Germany
(1944) Allied Armies liberated Rome
(1945) Mussolini executed by Italian partisans
(1946) Italians voted to end monarchy and established a republic
(1952) Italy became founding member of the European Economic Community
(1955) Italy joined United Nations
(1960) Olympic Games held in Rome
(1966) Flood waters from Arno River in Florence damaged many works of art
(1969) Bomb at Piazza Fontana in Milan killed 13, injured over 100
(1978) Prime Minister Aldo Moro kidnapped and assassinated by Red Brigades
(1980 Bomb at Bologna train station killed 84, injured over 200
(1981) Attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II in Vatican City by Turkish man
(1982) Italian soccer team won World Cup in Spain
(1983) First Socialist Prime Minister, Bettino Craxi, formed government
(1984) Roman Catholicism lost status as state religion of Italy
(1986) 338 Mafia members convicted of criminal activities
(1990) World Cup held in Italy
(1992) Scandals of political corruption led to fall of Christian Democratic party; Judge Giovanni Falcone killed in Sicily by Mafia
(1994) Silvio Berlusconi elected Prime Minister by rightist coalition; forced to resign later in year due to financial irregularities in the coalition
(1996) Olive Tree, a leftist coalition voted into power; Romani Prodi elected Prime Minister; fire destroyed Venice theater La Fenice; earthquake in Assisi damaged Basilica di San Francesco, killed four
(1998) Italy joined the EU, or European Union
(1999) Italy adopted Euro as it currency; Carolo Ciampi elected President of Italy
(2001) Center-right coalition elected Silvio Berlusconi as Prime Minister
(2002) Euro replaced the lira; former Prime Minister, Giulio Andreotti, found guilty of ordering Mafia to murder a journalist
(2003) Multi-billion euros fraud at Parmalat food-manufacturing company exposed
(2006) Center-left coalition took over control of government, Romani Prodi elected Prime Minister; Giorgio Napolitano named President; Bernardo Provenzano, boss of Sicilian Mafia, caught and arrested; Italian soccer team won World Cup

Technorati Tags: Italy, Reposrt, Timeline

        

I can get 30$ if i trade it in for some upcoming games > most intrested in Modern Warfare 2, Mafia 2 and Assassin’s Creed 2.
Main reasons I dont like it > campaign – dislike, boring, crap even in co-op ( now thats just my opinion)
> even online it takes 3-4 BURSTS from BR to kill a guy in the HEAD. Only two easy kill weapons that I know of are human sniper, hate the aiming especially at low fps compared to cod 4 and the energy sword
> as i said before – ABSOLUTELY 150% hate the fps (frames per second) when i compare it to gears of war 2 and cod 4.
> not realistic – lots of bullets to the head to kill
> huge time to load up a match that only lasts 5-10 minutes.
> no sprint, slow *** hell, get snipe in the head whilst i jump with the crappy *** gravity, and the auto aim when the enmy’s close (moves my crosshair after him, which blows that whloe point of close combat aiming)
anyways, you probably know how i fell about this game by now, so if you find any ideas that will make me wanna even open the case of this game, please, write it down here.

Technorati Tags: Along, Find, Halo, Instead, Keep, Other, Reasons, Some, Trading, Trying

        

My top 10
1. Hitman: Blood Money
2. Final Fantasy X
3. Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory
4. Devil May Cry 3
5. God of War
6. GTA San Andreas
7. Mafia
8. Hitman: Contracts
9. NFS Underground
10. NHL 2K8

Technorati Tags: 1050, Games, Video

        

Here’s “some” of mine!
PUFF JOHNSON,WILLIAM JOSEPH,PHYLLIS HYMAN,TEEDA MOSES,Nicolay & Kay,Andrea Bocelli, Nathaniel Anthony Ayers,TREY SONGZ,Matt Giraud, DAVID FOSTER,Anything from MOTOWN/BERRY GORDY, Sleepy Brown,Loose Ends,ORGANIZED NOIZE, Cee-Lo,The Three Tenors,OMAR CRUZ,Van Hunt, BEYONCE,Norah Jones,Bun B,Mannie Fresh, Shakira,Res,Joss Stone,Dwele,Sam Brown,Lucky Dube, Guy,Petey Pablo,SOCIETY OF SOUL,Maxwell,3 Doors Down, STEVIE WONDER,Jason Mraz,Enya,Michelle Branch, Krazie Bone,Lazy Bone,Kurupt,Nate Dogg,Beres Hammond, Jagged Edge,(Ashanti),Nelly,The Doors, Nelly Furtado,Rick Ross,Common,Cam’ron, Talib Kweli,Jah Cure,Vanessa Carlton, Van Morrison,Silk,Jamelia,Slim Thug, Paul Wall,Chamillioaire,The Roots,THE GAME, The Switch,Cassandra Steen,MICHAEL J. JACKSON, Maxi Priest,KAT DELUNA,Kevin Ford,Rufus Blaq, Amel Larrieux,THE Groove Theory,2PAC, FRANKIE J.,Sean Paul,Jennifer Hudson, Queen Latifah,Movado,MARIAH CAREY,Z-RO, Stephanie Holiday,Wyclef Jean,The Ten Tenors,Pras, The Doobie Brothers,Intro,City High, Asheru & Blue Black,Edyta Gorniak, Brand New Heavies,Jennifer Paige, Biz Markie,DJ Scratch,Funk Master Flex, BOOTSY COLLINS,Lakeside,Tank, Anthony Hamilton,Barkey,Rapheal Saadiq, Rascal Flatts,Aretha Franklyn,Portrait, Jamie Foxx,Zhane,Jaheim,Frank Sinatra, Elvis,Sam Cook,Beck,Lyfe Jennings,B.O.B., Keri Hilson,Journey,Chevelle Franklyn,Lenny Williams, UGK,Tevin Campbell,Brownstone,Lil’Wayne, RUN DMC,Brother Johnson,Evanescence, The Temptations,Smokie Robinson, Linkin Park,Limp Bizkit,Akon,Enigma,Coldplay, 112,Lil’Zane,The O’JAYS,THE JACKSON 5, MICHAEL BUBLE,NE-YO,Lenny Kravitz, LISA FISCHER,Debelah Morgan,Janet Jackson, James Ingram,Patti Austin,MC Lyte,Tamia, Eric Benet,Toni Braxton,AALIYAH, N*Sync (some of their music), JAY-Z,Young Jeezy,Plies,Teairra Mari, ALICIA KEYS,R.Kelly,Gerald Levert,LSG, Keith Sweat,Johnny Gill,Ann Nesby, Yarbrought & Peoples,Shalamar,DESTINY’S CHILD, QUINCY JONES,Sade,Queen Pen,New Edition, Jesse Powell,Tyrese,Tamar Braxton, Chico DeBarge,Joe,Mystikal,Diddy, CHRISTINA AGUILERA,Etta James, Shirley Murdock,DONNY HATHAWAY, Sisqo,Nina Simone,Dru Hill,Foxy Brown, Lil’Kim,Keisha Cole,Shai,Miles Davis, New Edition,Brandy,Sister Sledge, Monica,Nas,50 Cent,Notorious B.I.G., The S.O.S.Band,Xscape,Salt’n'Pepa, En Vouge,702,Aaron Hall,DAVE HOLLISTER,Jodeci,Blackstreet,Taylor Dayne, Pink Floyd,Eric Williams,JIMI HENDRIX, James Brown,Carrie Underwood, COMPLEX SIMPLICITY, Erykah Badu,D’Angelo,T.I.,Sole,Ginuwine, Lauryn Hill,The Fugees,Alexander O’Neal, Bone Thugs & Harmony,Snoop Dogg,Ludacris, Bobby Valentino,Vanessa Williams,Elton John, Sting,Phil Collins,George Michael,Dr.Dre, Missy Elliot,TLC,Busta Rhymes,Billy Idol, Rihanna,Anita Baker,Avant,THE BEATLES, Il Divo,Sarah Brightman,The Dream, Laura Pausini,Andrew Lloyd Webber, Paulina Rubio,Elvis Crespo,Vivian Green, J.Holiday,The Rolling Stones,Ciara,Usher, Bounty Killer,Tori Amos,Johnny Taylor, Paul McCartney,John Lennon,Leona Lewis, The Los Lonely Boys,Bob Marley,Mya,El DeBarge, The Isley Brothers,Beenie Man,Sizzla,Mr.Vegas, Jon B.,Blu Cantrell,Josh Groban,Allure,LL COOL J, Total,New Edition,Boyz II Men,Mint Condition, Brian McKinght,Dennis Edwards,Mozart,Bach, Siedah Garrett,CHANTE MOORE,Babyface, Mira Craig,Jan Teigen, Tor Endresen,TIMBALAND/TIMBERLAND, Carl Carlton,Eugene Wilde,Glashaus, Ray Charles,India Arie,Angie Stone, EVE,Jaggged Edge,Faith Evans,Kelly Price, Curtis Mayfield,Lionel Richie, Ludvig Van Beethoven, Minnie Riperton,Bobby Womack, Nichole Ray,Truth Hurts,Lumidee, Tony Sunshine,Fabulous,Sean Paul, Lady Saw,Luciano,Richie Stephens, The PussyCat Dolls,Sunshine Anderson, War,Rakim,Jaheim,Mary J. Blige, Boyz II Men,Chaka Khan,Gladys Knight, Rick James,Teena Marie,PRINCE, ISAAC HAYES,THE PARLIAMENT,Ray Ray, Elliott Yamin,Luther Vandross,Olivia, Az Yet,Allure,Adina Howard,Young Buck, JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE,The Braxtons, The DeBarge,Kelly Price,Da Brat, T-Boz,Al B Sure,Trae,Scarface,Do Or Die, Selena,NATASHA BEDINGFIELD,Foreigner, Ozzy Osbourne (some of his work),Lil’KeKe, Lil’Flip,Ice-T,Ice Cube,NWA, Celine Dion,Shima,SANTANA,Bonnie Raitt, The Goo Goo Dolls,Danity Kane, Billie Holiday,Jill Scott, Maroon 5, ESG,Savannah Band,Jade,Angela Bofil, Ella Fitzgerald,Slash,Musiq Soulchild, Martha Munizzi,Kirk Franklin,Genesis, The Spinners,Barry White,Goapele,Steel Pulse, Bon Jovi,Three Six Mafia,John Legend, Robin Thicke,Floetry,Low Profile,….

Technorati Tags: Favorite, Music, Name, Please, Singers/artists/groups, Your

        

My personal list of upcoming games from June 2009 til March 2010.
Release Dates Sources:
Wikipedia
Gamespot
CheatCC
Legend:
* = Must-buy
^ = Great
Upcoming Playstation 3 Games:
^ Call of Juraez: Bound in Blood – 23/6, 2009
Batman: Arkham Asylum – 25/8, 2009
^ Afrika – Q3, 2009
Just Cause 2 – 27/9, 2009
Red Dead Redemption – 9/10, 2009
^ Mafia 2 – 9/10, 2009
* Modern Warfare 2 – 11/10, 2009
^ Bioshock 2 – 30/10, 2009
Max Payne 3 – 30/10, 2009
* I Am Alive – 30/10, 2009
* Assassin’s Creed 2 – 17/11, 2009
* Uncharted 2: Among Thieves – 00/11, 2009
* The Agency – 27/11, 2009
* This Is Vegas – 30/11, 2009
* Heavy Rain – 26/3, 2010
* Final Fantasy XIII – 25/6, 2010
* God of War 3 – 00/3, 2010
^ The Outsider – N/A
My question(s):
1. Am I missing anything?
2. What’s your list?

Technorati Tags: 2009, 2010, Games, Playstation, Upcoming

        

Anna Politkovskaya and the Self-Defense of Democracy
By Jon Hellevig
The writer is a Finnish lawyer who has lived in Moscow for 15 years. He has written the book Expressions and Interpretations (www.hellevig.ru) discussing Russia’s social development from the viewpoint of philosophy and judicial philosophy. He is also the author of several books on the Russian tax and labor law.
The murder of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya has once again induced a surge of anti-Russianism in Finland. Politicians, so-called researchers and media declare that Russian leaders masterminded the murder. Many people cautiously avoid these direct expressions, while being highly critical of the Russian government. Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja falls somewhere between the two groups, whereas Markku Kivinen from the University of Helsinki affiliated Aleksanteri Institute and MP Heidi Hautala clearly belong to the latter. It is obviously not in the interests of the Russian President to have a well known journalist killed (pointing this out would not be necessary, but for the continuous smear campaign against Russia). Based on information I received from Jukka Mallinen (translator of Politkovskaya’s “Putin’s Russia” into Finnish), there were no Russian government officials behind the murder. On the other hand, there is reason to put forward an alternative motive, which is quite possible — that the murder was orchestrated by those wishing to create the kind of public opinion climate to compliment an anti-Russian agenda.
In our culture, we usually honor the memory of the deceased by saying positive things about the departed in times of sorrow. One would like to show the same respect for Politkovskaya as well. But I cannot keep quiet when I see how her memory has been turned into a weapon to hit the Russian people in a manner that hinders Russia’s development.
Some are not happy with the opportunities that have been created during Putin’s presidency.This includes the chance for many to now actively participate in a democratically run market economy. Upon the Soviet breakup, criminal elements took advantage of the weakness of a young nascent democracy by grabbing and stealing enormous possessions. Putin, courageously challenged the Mafia and oligarchs (often separated through a fine line drawn on water).
Thirsty for “revenge”, some of the non-Russian former Soviet states egg on the EU to engage Russia in a confrontational manner They overlook that Russia and the Russian people were the biggest victims of communism. Led by Yeltsin, the Russian people freed themselves from that burden and encouraged this spirit to other former prisoner-countries. Due to Russia’s large land mass encompassing troubled regions, Russia unwillingly gets drawn into dirty games. This predicament gets twisted into the claim of a revanchist Russia bullying small, defenseless others.
Given the uncritical fanfare accorded to Politkovskaya’s work as a journalist, there is reason to critically review it. A case in point is her book “Putin’s Russia”, (published in 2004) which has been translated into several languages.
In this book, she emotionally focuses on peoples’ life situations (a style used in Karl Marx’s Das Kapital, where he childishly tries to prove his theories of capital through the stories of people’s everyday lives). Politkovskaya begins and ends her book with a stated disgust of Putin (as per the English translation of the book, see the Introduction as well as pages 281 and 282). She states her dislike of Putin “because he was a product of the Russian security service” (as if George Bush Sr.’s politics should be condemned on the grounds that he headed the CIA; a prevalent talking point in some circles). According to Politkovskaya, the KGB influenced Putin “does nothing but destroy civil liberties as he has all through his career”. No mention is made of Putin’s support for the late democratic mayor of St. Petersburg, Anatoly Sobchak. At the end, Politkovskaya states she is disgusted with Putin because there is a war in Chechnya (as if he started it). She adds that in her view, he is a cold, cynical, racist, who is prone to lying (among other references in her book, see pages 281-82). Politkovskaya does not like the fact that this evil (in her view) man goes to Easter church services (pages 279 and 280).
Politkovskaya attacks Putin for being a “racist” and then like a racist claims that Silvio Berlusconi as a European has better powers of thinking than Russia’s Putin (page 279).
Politkovskaya’s likening of Putin with Stalin (page 272) shows that neither the journalist nor her prize givers and back patters have any sense of proportion. But one should remember that the purpose of this investigative journalist was to tell us about her feelings on why she abhors another person.
Politkovskaya displayed no perception that all phenomena in society are based on social practices and that only a positive historical process can promote the wellbeing of society. She does not understand that the basis of a working society was totally destroyed in the Soviet Union and that it was not until 1990 that the building of a democracy, market economy and society at large was started from the ruins of the bankrupt Soviet estate. Through glimpses of peoples’ life experiences, she brings up some of Russia’s problems, such as the undeveloped democracy, criminality, corruption, the poor condition of the army, low pensions and the state of the judicial system. In her state of disgust, Politkovskaya did not analyze what has been done about these matters during Putin’s presidency. Nor does she consider the impact of decisions taken under him. Instead, she writes of human tragedies like the suicide of an alcoholic and about a former friend of hers; a busy businesswoman who went into politics to grab more riches, etc. She tries to convince the reader that Putin is to be blamed for a tragic suicide and a woman politician’s ruthlessness (who succeeded remarkably well). Politkovskaya’s idea was that from day one of his presidency, Putin alone had to make sure that all in Russia was right. Much like if President Tarja Halonen was responsible for the unemployment in Kainuu and drunks at Hakaniemi Market Square.
In one of her brief accounts, Politkovskaya mentions an 80 year old man, who had been found frozen to a floor in Irkutsk, Siberia (page 194). The journalist says the emergency services refused to come to the rescue claiming “the man was so old he could obviously not be all right”. According to Politkovskaya – Putin should have stopped this. She seemingly suggests that it was brave of her to have said as much.
Politkovskaya writes of an impoverished former navy captain Aleksey Dikinin (page 198). His fate is attributed to Putin (with Politkovskaya having the guts to say so). She does not even think of referencing Soviet Communism as the main culprit Mind you, her chronicling of Dikinin was in the first year of Putin’s presidency (2000). Since then, there has been an enormous increase in pensions. I have personally experienced this in the Russian hinterland. At the beginning of this year, I visited a friend of mine in the native village of Azikeevo, situated in the Ural Mountains region of Bashkortostan. A road connection to Azikeevo was opened about ten years ago, at approximately the same time that gas and heating systems were installed. A couple of years ago, phone connections were completed to every cottage. Without any prompting, my friend’s 70 year old uncle repeatedly lauded how good living conditions had become. In a healthy spirit, this senior citizen regularly takes care of horses, cows and chickens. Some retired teachers in that village (a married couple) said that pensions were now so good that they could support their children’s families (there is a photo report of this trip at www.hellevig.ru).
Politkovskaya was far from expert on government, military and legal matters. Topics which Putin has frequently discussed in an openly candid way.
Politkovskaya’s writing on terrorist dramas sugarcoated the actions of terrorists. Through their deeds, terrorists try to hurt the society they hit. By killing innocent people, they create public discussion designed to fault the leaders of the target country (reference how terrorists sparked a change in government in Spain). This is incomprehensible logic for a sound person to comment on.
In “Putin’s Russia”, Politkovskaya blames Putin for government corruption in Ekaterinburg. There is no acknowledgement on her part that this political environment was evident BEFORE Putin became president. Putin proposed to correct this by having the political center play a more active role with the outlying regions. Instead of lauding this action (a popular one with most Russians), Politkovksaya wrongly concluded it to be anti-democratic. A stance overlooking how the political center was more democratic than the most “independent” of Russian regions. The regional governors operated under the cloak of democracy. They were chosen through “democratic” elections, as in the Soviet Union (in another connection, Politkovskaya remembered how people were elected in the Soviet Union, page 271). A colorful bunch of criminals and adventurers appointed themselves as governors under the shelter of formal electing and voting procedures. This view is acknowledged by the European Commissioner for Human Rights (see: Alvaro Gil-Robles, Report on Visits to the Russian Federation, 2004). In these conditions, anyone wanting to be governor had himself elected by using threats, bribes, blackmail and bodily harm. Putin’s proposal to strip the regional governors of their mandates made a positive impression. Democracy is now practiced in much more civilized circumstances, based on a democratic competition between the regional parliament and the president. To have the courage to rise against a powerful elite and to succeed is an unbelievably big achievement. In the West, this reality is not fully appreciated, let alone understood. Instead, Politkovskaya’s blinded disgust with Putin is uncritically accepted as the gospel.
Politkovskaya characterizes Putin as seeking “revenge” against the oligarchs. Her characterization of the Mikhail Khordorkovsky owned and operated YUKOS is flawed (pages 275, 276, 284 and 285). She erroneously claims that this business entity “operated in daylight” and “gave five percent of its profits to charity”. YUKOS flagrantly violated tax laws and other legislation through (among other things) criminal tax paradise companies (I reference a Sitra Report: Suuri Maa Pitka Kvartaali, Big Country Long Quartile, 2005).
Furthermore, Politkovskaya claims that Khodorkovsky got into trouble with Putin because he supported “the liberal opposition”. She omits the fact that Khodorkovsky supported the Communist Party. The romantic side of her activity would be lost if this point was made. She did not state the ulterior motive behind Khodorkovsky’s political activism. The “democratic” parties sold him top positions in electoral candidate lists to enable him to place his own trusted candidates. This was how he planned to carry through a takeover of the Russian Duma. But is this the kind of democracy desired by Politkovskaya, Tuomioja and Hautala? In Finland, this advocacy would be considered treason.
A number of anti-Putin analysts admit that former YUKOS CEO Mikhail Khodorkovsky had committed crimes, while rhetorically asking “but why Khodorkovsky, just Khodorkovsky”? The answer is clear: others were quicker to realize that their criminal activities in Russia were over. A society cannot be built on revenge. Putin offered an invitation for all to move forward. Russia loses if there is a large scale injustice. This does not mean that democracy has no right to self-defense. This is Putin’s Russia, and mine.

Technorati Tags: About, Article, Thing, This, What

        

1- Saboteur (not out yet)
2- Mafia 2 (not out yet)
3- Alan Wake (not out yet)
4-Legendary The Box (not out yet)
5- Banjo Kazooie 3 (not out yet, LOVED the 64 version)
6- Ghostbusters (not out yet)
7- Alpha Protocol (not out yet)
8- EndWar (not sure about this one)
9- This Is Vegas (not out yet)
10- Gears Of War 2 (not out yet)
If any of these games ARE out yet, tell me. What games can you not wait for?

Technorati Tags: About, Can't, Games, Play, Wait, What, Xbox

        

So I’ve been obsessed with this game for a few weeks now and finally bought enough property to have a nice income. Then something happened to where my income was $57,900 and it says my upkeep is $55,495. So my income after my upkeep is down to $2405. I added up my upkeep expenses and they don’t add up even to $2000. Something happened. Has this happened to anyone else. I recently bought more properties and the new income shows up but still saying my upkeep is the same. Any suggestions? So frustrating….

Technorati Tags: Mafia, Myspace, Wars