Over in Russia.
What an abhorrent representative for Amurkn diplomercee:
"Rice worried by Putin's broad powers" by Matthew Lee/Associated Press October 13, 2007
MOSCOW --Russian President Vladimir Putin's concentration of power is stifling his country's transition to democracy, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Saturday.
Rice, referring to the Russian parliament after meeting with human-rights activists, told reporters:
"In any country, if you don't have countervailing institutions, the power of any one president is problematic for democratic development. I think there is too much concentration of power in the Kremlin. I have told the Russians that. Everybody has doubts about the full independence of the judiciary. There are clearly questions about the independence of the electronic media and there are, I think, questions about the strength of the Duma."
[I am really sick and tired if the U.S. going around other countries and sticking our nose in their business, when what Rice describes is happening HERE in AMERIKA!
I really don't care about other people's problems right now; that is FOR THEM to WORK OUT!
We have enough problems in America to deal with.
We need to CLEAN OUR OWN HOUSE and STOP BOMBING and BAT-MOUTHING everybody else!
The top American diplomat encouraged the activists to build institutions of democracy. These would help combat arbitrary state power amid increasing pressure from the Kremlin, she said.
The U.S. is concerned about the centralization of power and democratic backsliding ahead of Russia's legislative and presidential elections in December and March.
[Fuck there, what about HERE, dammit?!?!]
Rice said she hoped the efforts of rights activists would promote universal values of "the rights of individuals to liberty and freedom, the right to worship as you please, and the right to assembly, the right to not have to deal with the arbitrary power of the state."
[And where you reside, Condi?
No shitstink from there, 'eh?
Can't smell your own, huh?]
Rice, who was a competitive figure skater in her teens, went to an ice arena in Moscow yesterday. She visited the Moscow's Central Army Sports Club, where she got a warm welcome from the 7- to 17-year-olds practicing in the rink."
[Awwww, Ms. Rock Star got to go to the ice rink.
WHO GIVES A FUCK?]
"After Rebuff, U.S. Visitors Reach Out to Russians" by THOM SHANKER and STEVEN LEE MYERS
MOSCOW, Oct. 13 — Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met with civic and human rights advocates at the American ambassador’s residence here and then, meeting with reporters, indirectly chided Mr. Putin for overseeing a steady erosion of the independent media, the courts and the legislative branch:
“In any country, if you don’t have countervailing institutions, the power of any one president is problematic for democratic development.”
[Helloooooooo?!
American people calling Condoleeza Rice.
HELP!!!!!!]
Ms. Rice, who was a competitive figure-skater in her youth, attended figure-skating practice at the Central Sporting Club of the Army, where lithe Olympic aspirants on ice gave her what was almost certainly the warmest reception of her visit. She did not skate, though.
[Did she just suck, or is this another lie?
Like how the Times keeps the important things up front in their stories, too, readers?
Pfffttttt!]
Her appearances were in keeping with a clear strategy of trying to put the American-Russian relations back on at least an even footing.
Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates, was asked how the United States could criticize Russian weapons sales abroad when America was the largest dealer in conventional weapons in 2006, Mr. Gates acknowledged that he had sparred with senior Russian officials on Friday over that exact question.
The United States complained about Russian weapons sales to Iran, a country that Mr. Gates said had “made no secret of its aggressive ambitions,” and to Syria, which he said has armed Hezbollah, labeled a terrorist group by the State Department.
[Yeah, and AmeriKa and it's Israeli overlords have made no secret of theirs, either!!
Just bombed Syria, for criss sakes!]
He and his Russian counterparts “decided to agree to disagree” on that topic, Mr. Gates said. That appeared to be the conclusion on many of the areas the secretaries and their counterparts discussed, from missile defense to the array of conventional forces in Europe, from Iran’s nuclear program to the future of American and Russian arms control agreements."
[Heading to another Cold War and likely confrontation, and CUI BONO, readers?
Only the Clean Break/PNAC crowd!
STINK!!!!!]
