01-22-2017, 01:35 PM
(01-22-2017, 05:19 AM)taramarie Wrote: I think certain groups of people in Russia would say otherwise. Bans on anything remotely referring to gays in banned and can cause one to end up in jail. Putin is not totally there yet but he is leaning towards the direction of totalitarianism. I will let an actual Russian who lives there do the explaining for me. I do not know what it was like in the past nor know what the hippies thought. The earlier boomers will have to address that part of your post for clarification.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2015...ISFkFxFs0Y
Freedom House rates the Russian Federation as "not free". On sevencritical issues Freedom House rates political entities from "0" to "12" to "16", "0" indicating a complete absence of freedom to "12" or "16" (the latter where such is possible) for no serious compromise of freedom. For Russia, ratings are:
A. Electoral process, 1/12. The President is nearly beyond challenge, and opposition is impotent.
B. Political pluralism and participation, 3/16. Although opposition parties may form, they might not have a chance to appear as electoral choices.
C. Functioning of the government, 3/12. Official corruption is rampant, and many critical decisions are made behind closed doors.
D. Freedom of Expression and belief, 3/12. Media have become propaganda conduits, let they be shut down. Journalists are in danger of assault and murder for reporting what the Leadership does not want told. The Internet is heavily regulated to suppress access to politically-inconvenient websites. The government employs Internet trolls to disrupt discussions (personal statement -- I have had the misfortune of meeting some of them on the Internet).
E. Associational and Organizational Rights, 3/12. The State can interfere with any organization with arrests, severe fines, and prison terms for activities deemed hostile to the regime. Labor unions are ineffective in defense of workers. .
F. Rule of law, 2/16. No independent judiciary. Insurgencies create real danger in the Caucasus region. Immigrant groups and some ethnic groups resident in Russia (notably Ukrainians) aere subject to mistreatment.
Speaking of gays, lesbians, and transgender people:
Quote:LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) people are subject to considerable discrimination. A 2013 law banned dissemination of information promoting “nontraditional sexual relationships,” putting legal pressure on LGBT activists and encouraging violent attacks. In late 2015, the parliament was considering a bill that would penalize people merely for publicly expressing or demonstrating “nontraditional sexual orientations.”
G. Personal Autonomy and Individual Rights, 7/16. At this Russia is in the 'average' zone. But people must still carry and show internal passports. Some areas have residential restrictions for persons from certain parts of the former Soviet Union, especially Central Asia.
State takeovers of private property show the precariousness of property rights. Women are grossly underrepresented in elective office, and only two of 31 cabinet ministers are women. Domestic violence against women is rampant and little punished. (Ironically the Soviet Union was fairly good at gender equity).
The Russian Federation rates 22 of 100 in an aggregate score of freedom. That is hardly the worst: North Korea rates only 3 of 100; Syria rates only 1 of 100 (due in part to a civil war between the two totalitarian causes of official Ba'athism and Islamic-Nazi ISIS). Saudi Arabia rates 10 of 100. China rates 16 of 100. Russia has made great strides backwards from what it was in the last years of the Soviet Union in freedom and respect for the person. But Donald Trump shows more respect for Russian than for, let us say, that of Finnish leadership (a perfect 100 of 100).
Closer to the middle? Mexico rates 65 of 100; Mexico would rate significantly higher -- probably in the upper 70s, at least, were it not for American addicts fueling the drug wars with blood money. (Curse you, American drug addicts!) Indonesia rates the same.
On the other side, the USA rated 90 of 100 in 2016 (although I expect that to go down substantially in 2017). India barely rates as a free country with 77 of 100. Canada rates 99 of 100 (do not be surprised if I end up sending postcards altered to read "Greetings from FREE Toronto" to friends and family this year!), the United Kingdom 95 of 100. America's chief enemies of World War II? Japan rates 96 of 100; Italy rates 89 of 100; and Germany rates 95 of 100. Countries incorporated into the Devil's Reich during World War II... Austria, 95 of 100; Czech Republic, 95 of 100; Poland (mostly) 93 of 100; Slovenia 92 of 100. The country founded heavily by people who had suffered horrifically under Satan Incarnate? Israel, 80 of 100.
In honor of what could be the world's oldest democracy by the end of this year (Switzerland) -- 96 of 100. Before
anyone takes a swipe at Islam as an implacable enemy of freedom, Tunisia rates 79 of 100, which could be above where I see America within two years.
Oh -- New Zealand, 98 of 100.
Data from here, but the analysis is mine.
The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated Communist but instead the people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists -- Hannah Arendt.