Zeev's Turnips Talk Politics (ZTTP)

[Amaunet]

It is the freedom that democracy bestows that best allows a foreign country to steal a nations assets. Putin will step on Russian freedoms, he has no choice, he will be judged by what degree.

Our objective is to contain Russia, our generosity was a token gesture, just as we mulled an annual cash payout for all Iraqis if they would privatize their oil and gas sector.
This amounts to nothing more than a bribe, dangled in front of a people who are largely in poverty and have suffered greatly. Once they are bribed or paid to switch to energy privatization American oil magnates can ‘buy’ their oil thus getting the oil revenue out of the country.

Even if majority ownership were restricted to Iraqis, Russia's grim experience of energy privatization shows how a new class of oil magnates quickly send their profits to offshore banks. If the interests of all Iraqis are to be protected, it would be better to keep state control.

http://www.investorshub.com/boards/read_msg.asp?message_id=1197170

We tried to take advantage of the privatization/democracy route with Russia, most recently with Khodorkoysky.

The sale of Yukos shares to a U.S. company would entail that representatives of American big business would be sitting in the Russian parliament. Russia would cede its sovereignty if it allowed transfer of strategic assets to corporations that are, in turn, closely linked to foreign governments. This would be like having a representative of Russian business in the U.S. congress voting on or blocking key legislation relating to the national interest. Knowing that Khodorkovsky has been siphoning profits from the impoverished Russian people under the umbrella of privatization compliments of democracy and is associated with not only the Carlyle Group but the elder Bush and others it becomes painfully obvious that his allegiance is with the United States and not Russia yet he would be president. This is betrayal, he’s lucky Putin does not try him for treason.

President Putin has admitted he puts the strength of the state above even democracy. He understands that democracy is being used by foreign countries to further guarantee the poverty of his people. If you were the leader of Russia what other options would you have except to protect your citizens and possibly fight? This is not a black and white world, nor do I excuse him in all his actions, but we should ask why these things are happening.

It is unfortunate that we use such a beautiful thing as democracy for such vile reasons. All in the name of love. Thank you for the information. -Am