The Gas Price of Democracy
Garry Kasparov, leader of The Other Russia | July 14, 2008
It seems that the importance of liberty and democracy in Russia is inversely correlated to the prices of oil and gas. ++ While denouncing Mugabe, Council of Europe secretary-general recently expressed his admiration for Putin and Medvedev, whose hold on power is similarly counterfeit. ++ The European fantasy appears to be that oil revenue and designer boutiques will magically turn Russia into a real democracy. ++ But even one glance at the headlines is enough to separate Western fantasies from Russian reality.
