Looking every inch the hawk, (all due apologies to that noble bird)
the psychopath Clinton glares as she watches the Russian results.
the psychopath Clinton glares as she watches the Russian results.
What business is it of hers who wins?
December 5, 2011
On December 4, parliamentary elections were held to fill 450
State Duma seats, Russia's Federal Assembly lower house.
With nearly all votes counted, RIA Novosti said Medvedev/Putin's United Russia
party won 238 seats, falling slightly below a majority with 49.67% of the vote.
It added that it's "a far cry from the commanding
two-thirds constitutional majority the party held in the State Duma for the past
four years" based on tabulated results so far.
United Russia is the nation's dominant party. In December 2001,
it was founded by merging the Unity and Fatherland-All Russia parties.
Vladimir Putin served as acting President after Boris Yeltsin resigned
on December 31, 1999. From May 7, 2000 - May 7, 2008, he was President. Dmitry
Medvedev succeeded him. Putin now serves as Prime Minister. He's United Russia
2012 presidential candidate. On March 4, presidential elections will be held.
After a decade in power, it's common for incumbent parties to
lose strength. Nonetheless, despite likely coalition agreements on some issues,
United Russia remains dominant. Moreover, Putin's heavily favored to win in
2012.
With near final Duma votes counted, results were:
United Russia - 49.67%
the Communist Party - 19.15%
Just Russia - 13.16%
the Liberal Democratic Party - 11.67%
Yabloko - 3.21%, and
two small parties getting under 1% each.
Under Russian electoral laws, Duma seats are proportionally
distributed to parties getting at least 7% of the vote.
Because several didn't qualify, United Russia maintains a ruling
majority. Nonetheless, President Medvedev expressed willingness to have coalition
partners, saying:
"We will have to take into account the more complex configuration of the Duma and for some issues we will have to join coalition bloc agreements."
Ballots were cast in 94,000 domestic polling stations across
Russia and about 370 overseas locations in over 140 foreign countries.
CEC officials said irregularities disqualified 1% of electoral
ballots.
MAJOR MEDIA BASHING
On December 4, New York Times writers David Herszenhorn and
Ellen Barry headlined, "Majority for Putin's Party Narrows in Rebuke From
Voters," saying:
United Russia "suffered surprisingly steep losses in parliamentary elections on Sunday....The three minority parties....all made strong gains....""Critics of the government have said for weeks that they expected widespread campaign abuses, and reports of electoral violations streamed into online social networks during the early morning hours...."
On December 5, Russia Today (RT.com) reported that on election
day, a Russian Internet site claimed an alleged United Russia scheme
"to conduct an illegal throw-in of ballots at one of the polling stations in Moscow."
It said
"some obscure political specialists had gathered a group of about 40 people, described as 'drunks and low-lifes,' and handed them special secret pockets and packs of filled ballots, marked United Russia."
In fact, three of the 40 were undercover reporters. When the
alleged group arrived, they claimed fraud. Other reports about throw-in ballots
also surfaced. A top Central Election Commission (CEC) official admitted some
violations occurred.
CEC's Leonid Ivlev mentioned
"invisible ink, illegal propaganda, and the so-called 'merry-go-round' false voting" by specially prepared people.
However, the invisible ink scheme was uncovered and stopped.
"Merry-go-round" fraud was grossly exaggerated. Minor violations only
occurred. They're common everywhere in contrast to major US electoral fraud.
Notably in 2000 and 2004, Democrats Gore and Kerry won popular
and electoral college victories, but George Bush became president for eight
years illegitimately.
In addition, key Senate and House elections were also tainted.
No wonder under a system where corporate-controlled machines vote, not
citizens.
Ivlev said
"many reports (about alleged Russian electoral fraud) simply showed a lack of understanding of the election procedure."
Moreover, Deputy Interior Minister Aleksander Gorovoi said
police registered 2050 violations all day. However, none compromised final
results. Most "concerned illegal propaganda and the police had started
administrative cases into these matters."
How organic were these street demos and
how much was instigated or pushed along by foreign interests?
Independent (CEC-invited) international monitors checked voting
in over 30 Russian regions. They concluded the process was calm and orderly.
Polish monitor Mateus Piskorski said,
"All complaints are about technical issues and not about violations of election law."
Institute for Democracy and Cooperation director of studies John
Laughland called electoral procedures "absolutely excellent." He
added that polling station workers were "extremely competent."
Nonetheless, The Times said cellphone video footage showed
"heavy-handed politicking, including attempts at bribery, campaign law violations and other manipulation."
It added that throughout the day, scattered reports cited
"voting irregularities, a smattering of protests and some arrests."
Times and other major media writers, commentators and editorials
notoriously bash electoral results in non-US client states.
In contrast, when the Supreme Court reversed America's 2000
popular vote (and electoral one learned months late) to install its own
favorite, a Times editorial supported Bush's illegitimacy and
"unusual" post-election "gracious(ness)."
Electoral fraud wasn't mentioned nor was cheating John Kerry in
2004. Moreover, America's corrupted duopoly power gets no coverage whatever.
Instead, reports claim model US democratic governance when, in
fact, it's not tolerated, never was, and on December 1 lost all legitimacy.
Following last May's House vote, the Senate followed suit. They
authorized detaining uncharged US citizens indefinitely in military dungeons,
based on spurious allegations of supporting terrorism.
Media scoundrels don't object, including Washington Post
writers, commentators, and editorial writers.
"Russia's hermetic political system - a parody of democracy
that begrudges dissent and bristles at independent voices - is growing even
less tolerant."
"Vladimir Putin has turned from glowering at the country's
only independent elections watchdog to outright intimidation. In the process,
he has reverted to Cold War rhetoric and cemented the Kremlin's reputation for
thuggery in high places."
FACT CHECK
Money power in private hands controls America's media. They're a
platform for managed and junk food news. Dissent in America is an endangered
species. On US television, it's entirely absent, and little appears in
corporate controlled print.
In contrast, Iran's Press TV, Russia Today and Voice of Russia
air diverse discussions and opinions on major global issues. US viewers can
access them online to stay current and well-informed, free of Western
propaganda America's media feature.
Putin is one of the few world leaders with backbone enough to challenge US lawlessness. As a result, America's media pillory him instead of explaining destructive US policies threatening humanity's survival.
Russian officials
"turn(ed) up the heat on Golos (Russian for 'voice'), an independent group of election monitors largely funded by US and other Western groups."
FACT CHECK
Golos gets National Endowment for Democracy funding. It supports
regime change in Venezuela, Syria, Iran and other non-US client states. It
backs opposition groups, conducts propaganda campaigns, and does openly what
CIA operative do covertly to destabilize sitting governments.
Its mission is subverting, not promoting democracy. It operates
with State Department funding and direction. It serves US imperial interests
destructively against targeted countries.
So do USAID and the National Democratic Institute (NDI). They
meddle internally against sitting governments. One way is by funding Golos. It
calls itself a Russian NGO established in 2000 to defend democratic rights and
civil liberties. It's Russia's only allegedly "independent" electoral
watchdog.
The UK Telegraph calls it
"one of the few organizations able to catalogue and publicize (Kremlin) attempts at fraud and intimidation."
In fact, Russian electoral authorities found it violated
election laws by publishing polls during a prohibited "quiet period"
preceding voting. Of course, taking US funding with strings corrupts its
independence entirely and violates Russian law.
Under the 1907 Tillman Act, "foreign national" funding
of US elections is illegal. Similar legislation followed. In 1971, the Federal
Election Campaign Act (FECA) instituted more stringent disclosure requirements
for federal candidates, political parties, and political action committees
(PACs). Foreign funding in America in all forms is prohibited.
In contrast, Washington meddles regularly in elections abroad to
influence their outcomes. America's media suppress what they should headline.
Instead, they endorse illegal foreign funding and other illegal practices.
The Washington Post claimed Golos NED, NDI, and USAID funding
lets them "be impartial." It also said Putin's likely reelection next
year means "growing number(s) of Russians (will) chafe (under) a system
that takes his commands and uses the niceties of democracy, including
elections, as window dressing."
It added that he's
"never been one to settle for simple victory when unchallenged supremacy can be gained by use of threat, political manipulation and bullying."
His "loyal lieutenant (Medvedev) warned that Russia may aim
missiles at US anti-missile installations in Europe, which are intended mainly
as a shield against Iran, unless the Obama administration agrees to a set of
Russian demands. He also threatened a Russian withdrawal from (the START)
nuclear arms reduction treaty."
FACT CHECK
America has well over 1,000 global military bases. Many encircle
Russia and China. No nation threatens America. Yet it spends more on
"defense" than the rest of the world combined.
To achieve unchallenged global dominance, perpetual wars are
waged. Alleged missile defense weapons and tracking radar are for offense.
Russia and China are targeted, not Iran or other Middle East countries.
Nuclear-armed Aegis class warships patrol the Eastern
Mediterranean, equipped with SM-3 ballistic missiles and anti-satellite
interceptors. Upgraded versions are being developed.
Instead of abandoning Bush's scheme, Obama plans more extensive,
sophisticated, flexible, mobile systems to be developed through 2020. Doubling
the number of Aegis class warships to 38 will be completed by 2015. They'll be
equipped with state-of-the art missile interceptors for offensive first-strike
capability.
Russia's justifiably furious. During the 1962 Cuban missile
crisis, nuclear war was narrowly averted when cooler heads on both sides
comprised.
Obama's no Jack Kennedy. He's an imperial tool, ravaging the world one country at a time and challenging Russia menacingly with encroachment.
A FINAL COMMENT
Under Putin, Russia's back, proud and re-assertive. It's not
about to roll over for America, especially in Eurasia.
Washington's gone back to the future with a new Cold War. This
time it's for much greater stakes and far larger threats to world peace.
Instead of reporting it, America's media cheerlead supportively.
They blame victims, not Washington's rogue policies threatening humanity.
In the 1930s, Roosevelt wanted war with Germany and Japan to end America's Great Depression and achieve US global dominance.During today's hard times, will Obama follow suit, no matter the potential catastrophe no legitimate leader would risk.
A possibility this frightening and real may be happening in real
time as America lurches from one war to another and enacts police state laws
quashing dissent.
Nonetheless, the Washington Post accuses Russia of Soviet era
saber-rattling when it should be sounding the alarm.
Responsible major media journalism was never America's long
suit. At a time of grave global dangers, they're pointing fingers the wrong
way.
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