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Russia? Democracy? What a Joke! If you say that Russia is a democracy, then Iran is not a theocracy. Russia cannot be democratic because Russians are like children - they need a strong leader, who can use the belt on them if necessary or at least says Putin's Nashi Youth Group, similar to Hitler Youth.

When has the last time the Russian people experienced the meaning of Democracy and its freedoms like the western European and American nations have? Democracy has a totally different meaning in Russia. This meaning includes the limitations to freedom of speech, no freedom to protest, no freedom to criticize the government, no freedom to talk negatively about Putin, no freedom to assemble and no Habes Corpus. Russia is spiraling down the path of fascism and non-democratic ideals under the rule of Putin.

Russia has only one major political party headed by Putin, so how can elections be fair and free? If you talk about Putin or the government negatively in any way, you are branded a terrorist and the KGB will be at your doorstep questioning you.

Despite the progress which has been made towards creating a democratic political system in Russia, much still depends on the leader. This is because many old Soviet practices are still felt.

Putin has ordered that all of Russia's business keep out of politics. However, when the head of the Yukos oil company, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, was financing political parties that would be opposing President Putin in parliamentary elections in December 2003, Yukos has been subjected to raids by the tax police, and its chief accountant, Platon Lebedev was arrested and is still in prison awaiting trial on charges of theft of state property during the privatization of 1994. Mr Khodorkovsky - reputedly Russia's richest man and one of the most prominent oligarchs - is still facing further investigation. The Yukos oil firm was forced to sell all its assets by Putin and his government because they helped political parties that are opposing Putin.

Putin is becoming the next Hitler. He has created his own youth group called Nashi youth movement just like Hitler did with his Hitler Youth. And with their patriotic slogans, and slightly militant style, they are just like Komsomol, the young Communists of the Soviet era. These are President Putin's foot-soldiers, a Kremlin-backed youth movement dedicated to making Russia a "better place" - by attacking British ambassadors - for attending an unofficial human rights seminar - and the Estonian embassy - after Estonia dismantled a Soviet war memorial.

However, there is still hope for Russia. People are fed up with the status quo and has decided to start their own movements to tell the people about whats really happening to their country. Mothers of former soviet conscripts are voicing their opinions and many people are starting to get out onto the streets. People like Chess Champion and Legend, Garry Kasparov are leading resistance movements around Russia while facing extreme political oppression and danger from the government.

Kasparov helped set up Committee 2008, a group dedicated to bringing down Mr Putin and stopping the constitution from being changed so that Putin can run for a third term, in January last year. However, Liberal opponents in Russia say Mr Putin's control of the media and incidents like the recent forced sale of oil firm Yukos' assets make democracy impossible. Only time and the efforts of countless lives will tell if Russia has what it takes to be a Democracy.

Learn more about this author, Ebey Soman.
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