LJ user
lipski writes (RUS) that two groups of around 1,000 people total remain on the square: one group guards the electricity generator and audio equipment, another is by the tents. People who are leaving the square individually, not in groups, are said to be arrested outside the square.
freedom for Belarus.... libertà per la Bielorussia
ReplyDeleteclick on offensivaliberale.blogsome.com
;)
Have you seen--the Guardian is back at it again. Belarus, Socialist Paradise!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,1735514,00.html
"By protecting Belarus from the ravages of free-market fundamentalists and delivering economic growth and prosperity for the mass of Belarussians, Lukashenko has sown the seeds of a pluralistic society far better than by handing the state's assets over to half a dozen cronies of western advisers.
Belarus is far from perfect, but it is a country where masses of ordinary people are getting on with life and getting a bit better off..."
So anyone who questions that is just a silly Western paid-off freak. Unbelievable condescension.
what a clown this Almond is
ReplyDeleteHi Neeka,
ReplyDeleteThanks for blogging about Belarus and her freedom!
I was born in Minsk and now live in New York. I'm also blogging about the events in Belarus, also using LJ resources :)
here
A lot of stuff will look redundant, but I thought more info wouldn't hurt. Long live Belarus!
Belarus:
ReplyDeletePopulation:
10,300,483 (July 2005 est.)
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/bo.html#People
If Lukashenko is that hated by Belarusians, howcome we don't see 1 million, 2 million people on the streets of every city? And that would be 20% of the population.
Could it be perhaps, that despite all things, some people in Belarus, actually voted for Lukashenko? If so why should foreigners try to vote for Belarusians?
If the majority of the population does not oppose him, just means that people don't dislike him/hate him, so much as sometimes it is perceived they would in the West.
Ceau?escu also had a lot of protection, in the end it didn't do him any good.
With a gdp per capita of $7,600 (2005 est.) , and an economy growing at 7.8% (2005 est.)with the help of Moscow some might say,
what comes to my mind is not why Lukashenko is still in power, but why Moscow isn't helping my country. I wouldn't mind a 7.8% GDP growth kind of help. In fact most Western Countries at this point in time get quite satisfied with a meager 2.0% or 3.0%.
Sure, if one badmouths the government one will likely end up in jail or worse, but hey at least there is food on the table.
If Belarus was a Democracy in Western fashion, would this be acheived?, im not sure. I don't believe Democracy necessarily equals Economic success.
And if we consider Maslow's diagram of needs, namely Physiological needs(food,clothes,etc), and Safety (i don't think Minsk ranks that high on the World's Most Violent cities list.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow's_hierarchy_of_needs
Personally ide rather deal with a government who i cannot badmouth (or else), than to be subjected to Mafia/hooligans who like to beat embassy staff/hired killers/rapists/lynch mobs/neo-nazis etc.
Brazil is a Democracy, try walking around in Rio or São Paulo, with an expensive camera, or a watch (expensive or not).
But hey, i know that for these views and others, i probably belong to a minority!
Augusto, in Belarus you sure would belong to a majority. But something is telling me that you wouldn't consider spending even a few years in Belarus with all the rights and wages of a random belarussian. Even if the climate there would be a portugese one. Can you answer (to yourself) why?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.kommersant.ru/doc.html?docId=659158&IssueId=30047
And read this one (in russian), it explains pretty good the belarussian economical phenomena.
Mishah,
ReplyDeletewages, if i could live a normal life (equivalent to random citizen), im not a materialistic person.
It seems to me , correct me if im wrong, that there are some Russians living far worse than the average Belarussian, and i actually want to live in Russia for a few years or more.
Minsk seems like a calm place compared to Moscow.
Thanks for the kommersant article, ill try to translate.
There is no sence to compare life of an average Russian or Belorussian (or Ukrainian for that matter), it doesn' t really matter if you have 50, 100 or 150 dollars per month to survive because here you can survive for any of this. In Moscow though you can't rent any apartment for less than $400 per month.
ReplyDeleteI should spend some years here if you want, Augusto. I just have to warn you: if you have really dark hair and not tipically slavic face you may have problems in Russia. With both police and skinheads. Unless you live in downtown Moscow and use taxi instead of metro, or dye your hair like some young (and straight) azeries do.
Mishah,
ReplyDeletethank you for the warning, but this was precisely my point.
I had written a post, but deleted it before posting, writing precisely this.
I am more afraid of Moscow Militsya than Belarussian soldiers.
In terms of looks i could perhaps be identified as jewish, (not exactly the best prospect , if i were to face skinheads or sympathizers).
My looks are far from slavic, though,(considering my genetic pool is as boring as it gets 99% portuguese 1% italian).That's why my plan would be to pass as a Bulgarian or Serb or something, not exactly the best solution but better than being perceived as a Chechen or Georgian perhaps.
By the way, black hair is not so common here. And the idea would be to dress like a local, act like a local, talk like a local. I have this habbit of not liking to be identified as a foreigner when abroad (i.e. not using my own language, or english on the street)
perhaps the result of watching too many spy movies. (joking).
Downtown Moscow would be a must, considering safety, and yes the expense, (i believe $400 is a low estimate, from what i saw in online real estate agencies seems to be higher than that, but ill take your word for it). Anyway, the price of real estate is going up, probably a lot faster than my capacity to save, so this will just be one of my endless list of unfinished projects.
Russia GDP growth 5.9% (2005 est.)
Portugal GDP growth 0.7% (2005 est.)
(And considering Moscow is greatly more expensive than most Russia, the difference is even higher than these figures)
The thing is, if i don't do it soon, 1-10 years, it will be practically impossible later (because i believe economies over there will go up and up, and here down and down, not that i would move for economic reasons,(for that i would move to China,since i have been learning Japanese for some years(who shares some of the written language ,the 50.000-200.000+ symbols thing(i allways find it amusing when russians tell me their language is difficult) but more like cultural ones.)
Since im self-employed and work at home, i guess i don't fall into the highest risk category also. less time on the street, etc.
But when i mobilize the resources,and learn proper russian, ill send you a photo so that you could give me an estimation of the chances i have of being able to walk from my home to a museum, national landmark or theatre, without experiencing skinhead/criminal hospitality.
I wonder if they rent a military vehicle for civilian use, for some poor portuguese bastard to go get some damn groceries and stuff.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BTR-80
or some mercedes with B7 level amouring, full of bodyguards with machine guns.
Ok, im joking a bit, but, this is just to compare how Minsk seems to be an easier and "friendlier" place than Moscow, even considering i can't say 1 word regarding the government or else.
P.S.- Thank you for the warning.
In downtown Moscow it's at least double of $400 of course. GDP growth could be a tricky thing, if you start from zero even 20% is nothing )))
ReplyDelete