Is the United States turning into Russia?

[Astraea]

Maybe it's an extreme comparison... but when I think of the attacks on our civil liberties, our provincial politicians who often march in lockstep, and the oligarchs with their ill-gotten gains (at state expense RE: bailout) dominating the scene... it sounds a little like Russia.

Can anyone think of other comparisons? Or am I way off base?

[el_bryanto]

1. There are similarities for sure

It's possible to overdo this comparison - we don't have the same problems with organized crime that they do for example. But we are largely an oligarchy with an overlay of democracy.

Bryant

[hobbit709]

2. More like the old USSR.

[newfie11]

10. Agreed. Nt

[onehandle]

3. Russia-like, plus arming domestic terrorists to the teeth.

There will be a tipping point.

[NightWatcher]

4. What a country

[PeteSelman]

5. Yes, an old Soviet style oligarchy.

It's not a conicidence that Stalin's Russia is where the Koch family fortune was made.

[newfie11]

11. +1. Nt

[deutsey]

15. I think for many rightwingers, they weren't really as opposed

to Communist dictatorships as they were envious of them.

[tridim]

6. No.

and WTF?

[Astraea]

7. wtf yourself

If you can't even contribute to the discussion, why bother?

[Adrahil]

8. TBH....

This post is a little bit of an over-reaction. Just give a quick read of the history of this country from 1850-present and you'll see that we've ALWAYS had the issues you bring up. The problems ebb and flow, but we've never been free of them. To quote Melissa Harris Perry's Dad, "the struggle continues."

[Downwinder]

9. Political systems do not necessarily define authoritarian states.

[geek tragedy]

12. No, not even close. The US's problems run deep, but we're not Russia. nt

[stevenleser]

13. If it were anywhere close, you would now need a food tester. Polonium doesn't digest well...

Just sayin.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poisoning_of_Alexander_Litvinenko

[durablend]

20. Um, RLY?

You SURE you want to drink that water out of the tap?

[stevenleser]

21. Yes. Really. Are you sure you want to conflate a political assassination with corp malfeasance?

Really?

[11 Bravo]

35. Here endeth the lesson.

Perhaps it even sunk in.

[HappyMe]

14. The US is chock full of problems,

but isn't close to being Russia.

[randome]

16. For the past 30 years or so, the world has been changing into various versions of America.

So...no.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]All things in moderation, including moderation.[/center][/font][hr]

[William769]

17. Your way off base.

We have our whack jobs mainly the repukes & right wing "chrisrtians" but nothing like russia.

[Boxerfan]

18. I've been thinking this for years-after we lost our news media with something Pravda would be proud

And the similarities don't stop there. But of course its far more complex .

But in some basic ways-Media fer sure-it is very much like the old Soviet Union.

Graft & corruption?-we are getting close

[snooper2]

19. LOL...As soon as everyone has to have a camera on every car-

and our kids are doing krokodil in abandoned towns with hookers wandering around


We might be close

[TeeYiYi]

36. Krokodil has been in the US for awhile.

It's been reported in Arizona, Utah, Oklahoma, Illinois and Ohio. Maybe more.

USA is hardly Russia but I hate to see Krokodil taking hold here; as if meth wasn't bad enough...

TYY

[JoePhilly]

22. I have an old friend from high school (he's now a Tea Party nut) ... he agrees with you.

[treestar]

23. No.

Goodness, learn about Russia. Learn about us. Wow.

[Taitertots]

24. Our secret police system dwarfs the USSR at the peak of the cold war

Any peaceful protest (except teahadists) is met with violence.
There are random checkpoints in the US
There are more than 1,000,000 RANDOM searches every year
Whistle blowers face incarceration

[HappyMe]

31. If this was Russia,

somebody would bust down your door and drag you off for even typing that.

[Taitertots]

37. Turning into =/= Exactly the same

Your post is pretty much non-sequitur to the discussion.

[LeftinOH]

25. Russia's long history has very little room for the pursuits of individual freedom;

the USA was founded (as opposed to Russia - which was not founded; it just evolved) on basic principles of liberty, which have evolved & expanded over time.

[KittyWampus]

26. Well, at least you avoided comparing it to Nazi Germany.

[tammywammy]

27. No. n/t

[TBF]

28. Wait - have we decided to include women and minorities?? Hotdog!

I'd draw your attention to Articles 35 & 36 respectively of the USSR Constitution of 1977:

Article 35. Women and men have equal rights in the USSR.
Exercise of these rights is ensured by according women equal access with
men to education and vocational and professional training, equal opportunities
in employment, remuneration, and promotion, and in social and political, and
cultural activity, and by special labour and health protection measures for
women; by providing conditions enabling mothers to work; by legal protection,
and material and moral support for mothers and children, including paid leaves
and other benefits for expectant mothers and mothers, and gradual reduction of
working time for mothers with small children.

Article 36. Citizens of the USSR of different races and nationalities
have equal rights.
Exercise of these rights is ensured by a policy of all-round development
and drawing together of all the nations and nationalities of the USSR, by
educating citizens in the spirit of Soviet patriotism and socialist
internationalism, and by the possibility to use their native language and the
languages of other peoples in the USSR.
Any direct or indirect limitation of the rights of citizens or
establishment of direct or indirect privileges on grounds of race or
nationality, and any advocacy of racial or national exclusiveness, hostility,
or contempt, are punishable by law.

Read the entire thing here: http://www.constitution.org/cons/ussr77.txt

[stevenleser]

29. And of course, the Soviet state itself violated this many times.

but shhhhhh, we're not supposed to say so.

[TBF]

33. Obligatory red-baiting. Check. nt

[Coyotl]

30. No, but we are a corporation being raided.

We will have turned into Russia when the Koch Bros. own the public lands and all the oil and you need a passport to go from ND to SD.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

32. Or, vice-versa?

[TBF]

34. ^^ this ^^ nt

[pampango]

38. Glen Beck thinks so: "how America has turned into a tyrannical communist/fascist/Nazi dictatorship."

Or at least he thinks we are the USSR's evil cousin - Nazi Germany.

Beck: Criticism Of Tom Perkins Proves 'The Socialist Revolution Is Here'

It has been a while since Glenn Beck dedicated his opening monologue to misrepresenting disparate global events in order to weave together an incoherent explanation of just how America has turned into a tyrannical communist/fascist/Nazi dictatorship.

But that was his message again last night, spurred on by his outrage over the fact that people were offended by a letter to the editor published in the Wall Street Journal in which billionaire venture capitalist Tom Perkins compared the "progressive war on the American one percent" to the demonization of the Jews during the Holocaust.

Perkins has since apologized and Beck is outraged over the fact that Perkins has been "savagely beaten in public" for simply telling the truth.

"We are Germany 1930," Beck said. "You can deny it all you want, but the socialist revolution is here," As proof, Beck pointed to the fact that Perkins' company, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, sent out a tweet distancing itself from his comments.

http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/beck-criticism-tom-perkins-proves-socialist-revolution-here