[This is an offtopic from the thread "US intervention"]

Ruslana,

Ruslana

“If you have no plans to visit Russia, then DO NOT try to discuss our "liberty and justice", because you are misinformed about it.”

I want to make this clear. I have nothing against you or the Russian culture. I have never been there and know zero about it. That said, if I were misinformed then so are millions around the world. I need not say much about what took place in the eyes of the world with the Russian military maneuvering this past weeks. I have no plans to visit Russia should not strip my right to talk about issues around the world or at least express my opinions.  I can say the same thing about your understanding of how we live as Americans. I perhaps don know much in the way of the current Russian life. I did however work with a few Polish Russians who escaped the “iron curtain”.

How much of Russian life has changed over the last two decades is still in question, but according to the way you described it in the past posts. Russia now has a better living environment than the US, as far as “liberty and justice” are concerned.  I don’t know you and have no idea about your background and how you lived, but I can tell you this, I can say what I want as long as my opinion is not to harm or affect other people. I can express my opinion or anger about any issue, even the way I feel about our president and no one, not even any government agency can tell me what I can or I can’t say.  Can you do that in Russia?  I have traveled to many countries and seen how life is in other lands. This blessing gave me a perspective how lives differ from land to land, and I am always glad to come back on American soil.  One thing that bothers me a great deal is that in recent years, “political correctness” driven by the progressive minds has robbed the freedom of speech and liberty to express from us. Now we have to be careful in choosing words we used in our speech. 
”Fat” is now an offensive word. You have to lesson the meaning  with the word “obese” because it’s more socially acceptable, but to whose standard?

Ironically, we can talk about how our president screwed up royally with no residual effects but we will suffer and risk legal consequences if we were to call someone fat.

Anyway, I have no problem with opposing opinions, but I do mind what I am told what to do and what no to do, Is this the communication Russian style?

Goodman

“

 I can express my opinion or anger about any issue, even the way I feel about our president and no one, not even any government agency can tell me what I can or I can’t say.  Can you do that in Russia?

”

I do not know truth it or no.

Goodman

“

”Fat” is now an offensive word. You have to lesson the meaning  with the word “obese” because it’s more socially acceptable, but to whose standard?

”

- same thing trying to install in Russia  but still he gained only jokes.

I will take your account as the “truth”.

[ by the way, KGB hasn't existed from the USSR collapse]  This is equivalent to me saying The CIA is not watching us.

From your perspective, Russia may be doing better than we are in the US. At least you don’t get sued by special interests like we do here when we use the wrong choice of words. In some ways, our radio air waves now are being censored by the progressive movement. A few radio talk show hosts now are wrangling with law suits by ACLU backed groups, and may I point out that some have Muslim ties. Go figure!

Goodman

“

I am talking about speaking out against your government without suffering any adverse consequences from The KGB or any agency. Can you really do that in Russia?

”

An individual on the street may get away with that because the incident is too insignificant but the leadership of the country has made it virtually impossible for any real opposition to develop. All major TV stations are controlled by Putin and his buddies and anyone thinking of criticizing the president and the prime minister in earnest on TV or in the press can expect a sad fate. Journalists have been killed and those responsible haven't been found. This what Reporters Without Borders writes about the freedom of press in Russia:

"Russia (144th) is not progressing. Anna Politkovskaya’s murder in October 2006, the failure to punish those responsible for murdering journalists, and the still glaring lack of diversity in the media, especially the broadcast media, weighed heavily in the evaluation of press freedom in Russia."

Read more about press freedom in the world here.

You can read Amnesty International's opinion about the death of Anna Politkovskaya and other human rights activists here. The gist of it is:

"One year ago, on 7 October, she was murdered outside her flat in Moscow.

This was almost certainly because of her work as a journalist, in which she exposed human rights violations throughout Russia. Amnesty International believes that the handling of the criminal investigation into her death to date shows that there is little political will to bring those who ordered the killing to justice."

Here is another Amnesty report about decreasing press freedom in Russia.

CB