Booting Russia

There are those that think that the cold war ended with the implosion of the old Soviet Union. Now we see the reversion to the old Kremlin controlled centralized state. Putin is still the old style Soviet Hack we imagined him to be when he first won election to the Russian Presidency.

Senators John McCain and Joe Lieberman have both asked for Russia's removal from the G-8 due to Putin's abuses of democracy and political freedom.

Episodes like this prove that replicating American style democracy in non-western nations is a difficult and dangerous process. Successful western style democracies in other parts of the world are rare, and always face the danger of revolution and the occasional military led coup d etat.

Should we then, NOT try to export democracy? No. Nobody ever said that spreading western style democracy would be easy, especially with the thugs and idiots out in other parts of the world. Those who promote a Mafia style government will always have more power in the short term. We have to continue to press for democracy. Even if it is difficult. People are meant to live in freedom, not tyranny.

Good luck, Russia.