U.S. Allows Russia Exceptions in Iranian Sanctions

In the New York Times article "U.S. Makes Concessions to Russia for Iran Sanctions", published on May 21st, Baker and Sanger explain the U.S.'s actions in regards to the Russia's involvement with the Iranian weaponry. The U.S. lifted American sanctions against the Russian military complex and agreeing not to ban the sale of Russian anti-aircraft batteries to Tehran. These actions were made as a result of the increasing trust between the two nations, although they have drawn many critics. However, Obama's administration sites Russia's reluctance to deliver the order of S-300 anti-aircraft missiles to Tehran as a sign of Russia's trustworthiness.

This article relates to Comparative Government because of the huge foreign policy issues. As the U.N. increasingly supports sanctions against Iran, Russia finds itself split between forging strong ties with the west and maintaining a trade relationship with Iran.

Bleak Outlook for Russian Journalists

Summary:

This editorial talks about how Russia is a very difficult place to be a journalist. Since 1992, 32 journalists have been murdered in Russia. Much of this was while journalists were reporting on incidents of organized crime or the war in Chechnya. The Kremlin has persistently tried to silence the reports of independent journalists, and most of the cases of murdered journalists are still unresolved. This shows the measures that some people in Russia will go to in pursuit of silencing the press.

Correlation:

This related to comparative government because it shows us how Russia is still at a major deficit of transparency and how there is still a lot of corruption in the Russian government. This shows that Russia still has a long way to go before their government becomes a functioning democracy.

Six-year-old with weird name refused birth certificate

The article, "Six Year Old With Weird Name Refused Birth Certificate" published on February 18th, 2009 on the Russian website Rianovosti, is about a 6 year old boy (who was born on June 6, 2002) whose parents named him BOCh RVF 26062002. The Moscow authorities refused to give this boy a birth certificate. Registration officials refused to register the boy's name, which translates into a Russian acronym for Biological Human Object of the Voronin-Frolov Genus , to "protect the boy's own interests." The parents have insisted on registering the name. Tatyana Ushakova, on of Moscow's registration officials had said. "This was done [being denied a birth certificate] to protect the interests of the boy. His parents need to think about the boy and how he can live with a name like that and not think about their own ambitions." There is no legislation in Russia against giving children odd names. However, the parents referred their case to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg; the complaint was turned down. In 2008, a number of other odd names were registered in Russia, including the English equivalent of North, Dolphin, Wind, and Moon. However, in 2005 the names Leaf Salad, Aviation Dispatcher, Russia, Privatization, Cool, Viagra and Simply a Hero were registered.the This weird Russian name was compared to a 9 year old girl in New Zealand, whose parents named her "Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii". Judge Murfitt declined these parents a birth certificate. A list of names that New Zealand registrars had refused to register, including Sex Fruit, Keenan Got Lucy and Fish and Chips. However the names Number 16 Bus Shelter and Violence somehow got through.

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Obama Prepares to Revive Nuclear Pact with Russia

My article is about President Obama’s intentions to revive a civilian nuclear agreement with Russia that was dropped by Bush two years ago in protest of Russia’s war with Georgia. The pact is part of Obama’s intentions to fix Russian relations and gain support for sanctions against Iran. The deal would allow extensive commercial nuclear trade, technology transfers and joint research between the two countries. Critics of the agreement say that Obama is too quick to make this decision and that the agreement would not necessarily halt trade between Russia and Iran. Both sides are said to be optimistic about the deal.

This relates to what we’ve learned in comparative government because it demonstrates changes in relations between Russia and the West. This also shows how Russia is now left in difficult position, as it is almost impossible to hold nuclear relations with both the U.S. and Iran because of the hostilities between the two countries. Publication of the discussion shows that both countries are have a lot of transparency about the issue. This also shows that passing of the agreement could have a multitude of both positive and negative consequences for both countries because of Iran’s role as a third party in the agreement.

Photo credit: http://i.thisislondon.co.uk/i/pix/2009/04/obama-medevev-415x305.jpg

Eastern Europe Seeks to Diversify Energy Supply

In the New York Times article "Eastern Europe, Seeking Energy Security, Turns to Shale Gas", published on May 11, 2010, Judy Dempsey discusses the recent exploration into the field of shale gas as an alternative energy source. Eastern European countries are currently looking into mining for shale gas in the Polish regions of the Baltic, Podlasie, and Lublin Basin. The countries that would benefit from any significant shale findings are all seeking increased energy security and independence from Russian oil. Poland also wants to link pipelines with Western Europe in order to protect the supply of energy from shortages, like the Russia-Ukraine energy disputes in 2005 and 2008.

This desire for separation from the Russian oil market does not bode well for the Russian economy, as an increasing amount of business is shifted to alternative energy sources. Foreign investors no longer feel comfortable with the rocky Russian oil supply, and therefore Russia is going to definitely need to diversify its economy to ensure no economic downturn in the near future do to shifting oil demands.

Putin Suggests Human Error in Mine Disaster

Summary:
This article, published on May 11th in the New York Times, Putin explains how the explosion of the Raspadskaya mine on Saturday was a "human error." The Raspadskaya mine produces 12 percent of Russia’s coking coal, which is used in steel production. In 2008, government inspectors cited the mine for safety violations involving conveyer belts and rail transport, and forced it to close for 15 days. In January of this year, one miner was killed when ceiling supports collapsed. Last Saturday, Russia's largest coal mine exploded after a sensor displayed a dangerously high level of methane within the mine. Government officials have said the most likely explanation is an enormous underground burst of gas — what one expert called “a mystery of nature.” Prime Minister Putin suggested that the “human factor”, which is “someone’s careless treatment of fire,” could have caused the entrapment of 86 miners and rescue workers underground. Putin has referred to this occurrence as an "enormous tragedy", one to which "we need answers." Regardless of Putin's assertion that this disaster was the result of "human error", others think otherwise. Mr. Badalov, of the Miners Union, says that the equipment failure was not the cause of the blast, and that a large deposit of methane had leaked into the mine with the first explosion, accumulating over the next four hours until it burst into a fireball so powerful that buildings above were blown to pieces." Also, Vadim Potapov, of the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Coal and Coal Mining said, “We could be looking at a sudden emission of methane as large as tens of thousands of cubic meters. That kind of emission taking place deep underground could be considered a mystery of nature.”


Correlation: This article demonstrates that Putin, as Prime Minister, deals with most of the problems happening within Russian society and deals with most of the publicity. This shows how the Prime Minister tends to have more actual power than the President, leaving the President as being merely the head of state and a figurehead. This also correlates to transparency and shows how Russia is slowly developing more transparency. Instead of the government attempting to dispute that any mine explosion occurred, they are openly informing the public as to what exactly happened and they are also informing them as to why they think what occurred happened. Lastly, this demonstrates statism because the mines are a state owned corporation, not privately owned, and mine unions are still in existence.


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Allies Join Forces for Russia's Victory Day Celebration

In the New York Times article titled "Western Troops Join Russia's in Victory Day Celebration", published on May 9, Clifford Levy tells of western participation in Russia's largest secular holiday celebrating the Allies victory over Nazi Germany. The participation by NATO countries including France, the U.S., and Britain, signified Russia's improved relations with the West. In the past Russia has used the Victory Day celebration to show its western sentiments as Putin utilized it to instill hostilities towards the U.S., but this year Medvedev gladly shared the glory of the Allies victory with the other countries in attendance. However, not all shared his sentiment. There were some, mainly Communists and Nationalists, that protested the other countries' participation, although most saw it as a sign of respect. In Russia WWII is "intensely memorialized and dramatized" seeing as Russia lost approximately 25 million lives, and therefore the Russian citizens do not mind the display of such symbols as the sickle and hammer on Victory Day.

This Victory Day Celebration exhibits a huge shift in foreign relations between Russia and the West, and the friendliness should hold for quite some time. However, the protestations of some signify a social cleavage between those that trust the West and those who continue to remain suspicious.