A Pussy Bully Jails 3 Cats

Russia has never been a world leader save in barbarism and murder. It has an idea of itself as a great nation that remains unrecognised in the rest of the world, save of course amongst those who like ideologues and tyrants - no doubt like President Correa of Ecuador and Julian Assange. This is not to say that many of its people are anything other than friendly, intelligent, passionate and open minded. Until Russia embraces the rule of law concept though it will always have trials with outcomes like the one we have heard of today with three women pop singers imprisoned for two years for hooliganism for having sung an anti Putin song in a Church. Would these women have been charged with hooliganism if instead of Putin the subject of their song had been a  rebel Chetnyan leader? Most unlikely. I believe that most people in the UK would think it wrong to use a Church or other place of worship to make a political statement and I do not know the circumstances leading to the song having been performed in the Moscow Church but the imposition of a two year sentence is barbaric and can only have been done for one reason. To put the fear of God into others minded to protest against Putin. This is a further example of denial of free speech by this unfortunate Russian government. Critics, including journalists, of the regime or specific members of it have been murdered in the last few years not only in Russia itself but also outside; witness the fate of Mr Litvinenko in the UK despite the fact he had become a British citizen. Mr Putin and his followers believe that Russia is a special nation that deserves special respect. There can be little respect though for any country which behaves as it has done and any respect we gave it for having thrown off the Soviet yoke has been diminished as a result of this return to Soviet type behaviour. Putin thinks his bullying has succeeded against the Americans but this will change when Obama leaves office. No successor US President will continue Obama's Russian appeasement policy. Only weak men like Obama murder people like Osama bin Laden and give in to people like Putin. Strong men bring people like Osama bin Laden to trial and stand up to demagogues like Putin.