russia

Obama: Persecution of LGBT people violates basic morality

"President Barack Obama on Tuesday night condemned Russia and some African countries for persecuting gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals. 'I’ve been very clear that when it comes to universal rights, when it comes to people’s basic freedoms, that whether you are discriminating on the basis of race, religion, gender or sexual orientation, you are violating the basic morality that I think should transcend every country,' he said on NBC’s The Tonight Show with host Jay Leno. 'And I have no patience for countries that try to treat gays or lesbians or transgender persons in ways that intimidate them or are harmful to them.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingObama: Persecution of LGBT people violates basic morality

Bitcoin: newest frontier in e-money management

"Over the last year, many wealthy Russians lost billions of euros in the Cyprus economic crisis. The Russian government announced plans to intentionally weaken the ruble - plans that were never realized, but which caused quite a scare. President Vladimir Putin banned government officials from holding bank accounts and securities abroad. Historically, the Russian ruble has been a tumultuous currency, suffering major fluctuations throughout the 20th century. For those distrustful of Russia's financial institutions, then, Bitcoin's decentralized basis in math and code may provide an increasingly viable alternative." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBitcoin: newest frontier in e-money management

McCain Declares War on Russia

"He continued by calling for the listing of as many Russians as possible under the Magnitsky legislation in the US, which allows those considered – under dubious criteria – to be human rights violators to be prevented from entering the US and to have their assets seized by the US government. Then, reprising his subsequently discredited position during the short 2008 Russian/Georgian conflict that 'we are all Georgians now,' McCain all but called for the US to foment another Georgian war against Russia — this time with NATO providing back-up." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMcCain Declares War on Russia

Putin Shows Global Mojo to Russians as U.S. Fumes Over Snowden

"Russian President Vladimir Putin is showing his gamesmanship on a global stage by giving his voters what they want with the asylum granted to ex-U.S. contractor Edward Snowden, while leaving the White House flustered. The decision is backed by almost twice as many Russians as those against it and those who view Snowden’s role as positive outnumber negative assessments three to one. Putin, who used Russia’s oil-powered wealth accumulation to build support for his 13-year rule, is facing an economy that threatens to slide into recession." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPutin Shows Global Mojo to Russians as U.S. Fumes Over Snowden

Eric Margolis: Are We Becoming What We Once Hated?

"In the late 1980’s, an old friend of mine based in Moscow was calling her husband in the USA late one night. She said it was a 'typical dumb husband/wife call,' mostly about a broken garage door. Around midnight, a gruff voice broke into the call. 'This is your KGB listener. This is the most boring, stupid call I’ve ever listened to. Shut up and go to bed!' Ah, those innocent Cold War days. Today, Big Brother listens to your calls, reads your email, and follows your internet searches on silent cat’s feet. China’s Taoists warned, 'you become what you hate.' They are right." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingEric Margolis: Are We Becoming What We Once Hated?

Collapse of Potash Cartel Sends Shock Waves Worldwide

"Russia's Uralkali quit one of the world's two big potash cartels on Tuesday, heralding a price war for the key crop nutrient and pummeling the shares of companies that produce it. The break-up of the Belarusian Potash Company (BPC), a joint venture with Belarussian partner Belaruskali, leaves North America's Canpotex as the dominant potash export venture. It could lead to cancellations of projects by rivals as the industry weighs the effect of lower prices, but may bring better deals for farmers. 'It is as if Saudi Arabia decided to leave OPEC — oil prices would fall immediately,' said Dmitry Ryzhkov, equity sales trader at Renaissance Capital." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCollapse of Potash Cartel Sends Shock Waves Worldwide

‘No plans to leave Russia’: Snowden has job offer, awaits reunion with family, girlfriend

"An 'exhausted' Edward Snowden will have his own choice of accommodation, has no current plans to leave Russia, and still misses his girlfriend, according to his Russian lawyer. The US national has been issued a 12-month residence permit, which can be extended indefinitely. Snowden only has to register and then has the legal right to travel anywhere in Russia. Snowden is legally allowed to work in Russia, and has already had one job offer. In what may or may not be a serious proposal, the founder of Russia’s Facebook equivalent Vkontakte, the flamboyant Pavel Durov, has offered the computer specialist a seat on his 'all-star security team'." Continue reading →

Continue Reading‘No plans to leave Russia’: Snowden has job offer, awaits reunion with family, girlfriend

No One Saw This Coming…

"Last fall, I sat in a cozy living room on the outskirts of Tallinn, Estonia, drinking coffee, eating freshly baked pastries and listening to a former parliament member for the Soviet Union tell me about a phone call he had recently received from inside Russia’s central bank. The bank officials wanted input on how to build a reserve currency, one backed by the plentitude of hard assets Russia owns. What he told me – easily the most-stunning bit of information I gathered on that research trip – has stuck with me. 'Russia,' he announced, 'is using oil, gas and minerals as the new tools of war instead of military tools. This will be the beginning of a currency cold war.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNo One Saw This Coming…

Jeffrey Tucker: Thank You, Russia?

"I’m as glad as the next guy that 'we' won the Cold War. But sometimes you just have to wonder: What was the point of those 45 years of nuclear stalemate? All that time, we were told that this was a mighty struggle between individualism and collectivism, between freedom and tyranny, between capitalism and communism. But at the end of the day, once everything has shaken itself out, it is Russia that is providing sanctuary to our best citizens. Is this some sort of strange dystopian novel? Well, yes, and it has a name: Nineteen Eighty-Four, by George Orwell." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingJeffrey Tucker: Thank You, Russia?