Following a heated debate which turned into a personal slanging match, I’ve decided to introduce a formal comments policy.
It’s a very simple policy, which reads as follows: Political views of all stripes are respect ed at Siberian Light, but play nice, don’t abuse my hospitality, and don’t throw personal insults around.
Up until now, I’ve tried very hard to keep the comments on Siberian Light as lightly moderated as possible, hoping that this would encourage people with a wide range of views to engage in debate. I had (and still have) no problem with those debates becoming heated – this is a politics blog, after all – but I draw the line when commenters start to post unsubstantiated personal insults instead.
I run Siberian Light in my own time, because it is something I enjoy doing. I simply don’t have the time, or the inclination any more, to try to calm disputes between people who act like spoilt five year olds and are happy to hide behind the pseudo-anonymity of their computer screens.
Therefore, I reserve the right to delete any comment that I feel doesn’t meet the above criteria.
Anyone who doesn’t feel comfortable with this policy should consider posting comments on another blog.
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Gotta agree with that, RM. Well put.
RM you’re spot on. There isnt any alternative at all and he has done a good job generally. People like LR criticise Russian voters, but who else Is there? Yavlinsky? Kasparov? There isnt anyone at all. And I agree with his foreign policy -there’s nothing wrong with defending Russia’s interests and stating the obvious, that the world isnt too happy with illegal, unilateral military actions.
Khodorkovsky was a candidate only in his own mind and that of LR. I’d get more votes if I went into the election than him and I’m a Paddy.
My main gripe with Putin is the army. And yes I know he’s not minister for defence but the situation with conscription is a cancer on the country and just has to be dealt with. Its time it was scrapped. Sadly now that his time is nearly up and the attempts at reform have failed it looks like nothing is going to be done. The judiciary needs reform as well(in fairness, contrary to popular belief, Putin tried to reform this, but actually failed)
Regarding judiciary: had a conversation with the director of one of the largest autoparts/consumer goods manufacturer here in Russia (it’s a Western company), and he said that in his experience, the judges are becoming better. Meaning, they start understanding issues better, ask the right questions, etc. (all in respects to companies dealing with bureaucratic blockheads). Same comments were made by the people who represent the software industry. It seems to me, from my limited talks with people, that a lot of below-the-radar screen changes are happening that are beginning to be felt now by some, and probably by more people soon.
Ditto customs: apparently, it’s becoming more and more difficult to simply under-declare the value of your cargo, and Russian companies are beginning to tell their foreign partners to do the importing themselves, as their ‘local advantage’ is declining.
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