[sergei]

See....

http://www.moscowtimes.ru/stories/2005/01/20/001.html

"While offering this carrot to the country's 40 million pensioners, who lost many of their Soviet-era benefits on Jan. 1, ministers accused the Communists and the radical National Bolshevik Party of being behind the protests, and warned pensioners against being used as political pawns"

I must admit... someone is doing one HELL of a good job. Yes, most of these people are old... but there are Red Flags and an angry Proletariat all OVER the place....

[Anna Ulyanova]

Hmm... yeah at least somebody's doing something. Even if it doesn't turn out so great it's still encouraging (in a way, if you ignore the not-so-good parts of the article) for the time being, and that's great.

[Genosse Oberstleutnant]

as I read the article,
and I read the european version of the Moscow news paper almost everyday (the version made for russians in other countries)
or at least my friend translates it for me

but i think there is some truth in;
"and warned pensioners against being used as political pawns"

[Papergut]

I'm going out on a demonstration on the 22nd with two comrades from my cell. It's bad that many young ones just don't care about others' problems...

[Anatoly Karpov]

i was intrigued by Aristov's comment about the state of the transport infrastructure...

almost as though he's claiming that as a result of these reforms, revenues from transport passes will be sufficient to maintain the public transport facilities?

This sounds like the sort of bourgeois capitalist lunacy being spouted by transport ministers in this country!

Ask anyone who regularly uses public transport in London how they feel about notions like this...

[sergei]

More action....

http://www.moscowtimes.ru/stories/2005/01/24/011.html

"3,000 Rally Near Belorussky Station

By Oksana Yablokova
Staff Writer

Misha Japaridze / AP

In the single largest protest against the monetization of Soviet-era benefits yet in Moscow, some 3,000 pensioners and other demonstrators rallied at Belorussky Station on Saturday with portraits of Lenin and a long banner reading, "Putin Resign!"

"...The rally was led by the Communist Party but included supporters of small hard-line groups like Viktor Anpilov's Working Russia and Red Youth Vanguard. Police detained the leader and nine activists from Red Youth Vanguard as they attempted to march to Staraya Ploshchad to break into the presidential administration building after the rally"

The stink gets stinkier.... and more encouraging

[soviet78]

GenosseOberstleutnant: The pensioners aren't being used as pawns. They're suffering, and they want action. The plight of the pensioners is truly the sadest outcome of the collapse of the USSR. They are the poorest, the sadest, the angriest, about the crap that the Russian government has forced them to endure in these years. In fact, many have killed themselves after the collapse of the USSR. I'm not sure if it was the right action, but they saved themselves a lot of suffering...

The old people worked all their lives for something. They believed in themselves, in each other, and then one day somebody just comes and takes everything away from them. In their last days, after having worked so hard for so long, these people can't even retire in dignity. Disgusting. It makes me want to cry, and is deeply personal for me as well because I have all my relatives except my mother back at home.

[Nikita]

They are growing greedy.

[Genosse Oberstleutnant]

Quote:

PostPosted: Mon Jan 24, 2005 1:27 am Post subject:
GenosseOberstleutnant: The pensioners aren't being used as pawns. They're suffering, and they want action. The plight of the pensioners is truly the sadest outcome of the collapse of the USSR. They are the poorest, the sadest, the angriest, about the crap that the Russian government has forced them to endure in these years. In fact, many have killed themselves after the collapse of the USSR. I'm not sure if it was the right action, but they saved themselves a lot of suffering...

The old people worked all their lives for something. They believed in themselves, in each other, and then one day somebody just comes and takes everything away from them. In their last days, after having worked so hard for so long, these people can't even retire in dignity. Disgusting. It makes me want to cry, and is deeply personal for me as well because I have all my relatives except my mother back at home.

I know this,
I have family and friends in Eastern germany, where this happens too.
Its good for them to make a point to show they are still around and show their opinions..

What I find less good is that it is in co-operation with the NBP
(and yes, I know what I'm talking about, I have some friends in Russia, one who has been a member of the NBP)

The action itself is very good and a good inittative of the Communists.

[soviet78]

Oh, ok, I see what you mean. Sorry about your family's troubles

[Genosse Oberstleutnant]

The East German people where very open en social (to each other)..
and the government gave them everything and made sure everything was arranged for them..

Then after the fall of the DDR,
people didnt know what to do...
no work, no money, no food...
(even 5 years later older people didnt have an insurance and there were people who didnt even know what it was.. so they later had no right for medical help)

They bought videodesks and other "super" stuff...
they switched their furniture and belongings for western stuff...
and later they regretted it...
all things were lacking quality.

Now 15 years later a lot of voices are raised,
we where sure of our forture,
of our nationality,
give us our country back...
There are large groups, for instance the Communist youth group of the DDR, which still exists and is growing in numbers... www.fdj.de

Well, life has gotten much and mcuh worse in former DDR, unemployment grew sky high...

I am sorry for your family too,
but I know what you mean...

A lot of protesting is now-a-days done in the former DDR too...

[Nikita]

I doubt they will last for long.

[sergei]

...and MORE. This is getting serious:

http://www.moscowtimes.ru/stories/2005/01/25/002.html
Putin Tries to Soothe an Irate Military

By Nabi Abdullaev
Staff Writer Apparently concerned by growing discontent in the military over his social reforms, President Vladimir Putin ordered the Cabinet on Monday to quickly raise military wages.


http://www.moscowtimes.ru/stories/2005/01/25/011.html
Small-Town Seniors Turn On Putin

By Francesca Mereu
Staff Writer

http://www.moscowtimes.ru/stories/2005/01/25/008.html
Low Pay, Protests Don't Mix

By Pavel Felgenhauer

Street protests by pensioners over the cancellation of benefits have seriously undermined Russia's political stability.


"seriously undermined Russia's political stability"? Oh please.... one can hope. The BEST sign is the attempt to raise Military Wages over fear of growing discontent. Time to raise the Auroura!

[Anna Ulyanova]

Quote:

"This is the government's mistake, but also Putin's fault. Why he is hiding in the Kremlin? He should come to talk to the people," Andreyeva said, throwing up her hands.

No kidding...

You're right, this does look promising.

[Nikita]

It will benifit the economy. That is the only thing that counts

[sergei]

They are starting up the expected "appeasement" programs....

http://www.moscowtimes.ru/stories/2005/01/27/012.html

Lord, I hope the Proletariat don't fall for this crap.....

[Papergut]

Yesterday all state-run TV stations showed an accident during an unsanctioned protest: a man on a foreign car (white Mercedes or BMW, I don't remember) run over a protester who was blocking his way, he instantly died. In my hometown another rich bastard didn't stop before a crowd of people and killed a pensioner.

TV spokesman said that that the driver of the white car was defending his life from the rage of protesters and thus, he was right. And of course he added that the real criminals were the communists and "Limonovites" (NBP) who dragged the poor pensioners out of their flats to use them as living shields. I want to add that only a week before I was out on a demonstration and saw how a horde of about fifteen pensioners attacked a militiaman who was dragging a young "Limonovite" to the nearest police station.

It is just amusing how Russian government considers their people complete idiots...

[Nutter Joe]

Papergut - didn't the Russian government also pass new demonstration laws, to coincide with the recent welfare cuts? Laws that would ban demonstrations in front of governmental buildings and near major transport routes such as railways and roads? How does this apply to strikes?

[Politbureau]

This just makes me wish all the more that I could be in Russia, and not in Capitalism Central (USA). Of course, protesting with the proletariat here in the States isn't exactly a safe thing to do, either.

[Papergut]

Nair wrote:

Papergut - didn't the Russian government also pass new demonstration laws, to coincide with the recent welfare cuts? Laws that would ban demonstrations in front of governmental buildings and near major transport routes such as railways and roads? How does this apply to strikes?

The demonstration laws were enacted earlier in the year, but they perfectly suited for the recent situation... In the first days of demonstrations militiamen arrested many pensioners but this act only increased the tensions and they had to release them.



A few days later, when the protests became really massive, it became not only useless, but also dangerous to imprison organizers of demonstrations...

[sergei]

The movement grows....

http://www.moscowtimes.ru/stories/2005/02/11/002.html

Protests Spread to Transport, Defense Staff

By Anatoly Medetsky
Staff Writer

Igor Tabakov / MT

Protesters holding a variety of banners and placards in front of the White House on Thursday. The rally was one of several nationwide against hikes in gasoline prices.


Transportation and civilian defence workers on Thursday became the latest groups to take to the streets in protest, with transportation industry associations staging nationwide rallies against gasoline price hikes and poor quality gasoline, while the defence workers demonstrated in Moscow for a salary raise.



Oh dear.... it starts to get ugly when anyone that might be called a "defence worker" gets involved....

[Bendeguz]

You know, I wouldn’t be surprised if there was another revolution with the way things are going, but that’s probably going to take a whole lot more from Putin, but you never know.

[Exalt]

I wish luck to everyone who is in the revolt.

[Bendeguz]

Me too, just wish I could help, instead of lazing around in front of a screen.

[Kormy]

I wish that milisia will crack some senses on these nutjobs.