"Satyrs at Play" - aediculaantinoi.wordpress.com: HADRIAN and ANTINOUS finally release their embrace, and notice DIONYSOS

Friday, February 17, 2012

6:40 AM 2/17/2012: Front page Friday 17 February: Sick and disabled people could be forced to work... via The Guardian's Facebook Wall by The Guardian on 2/17/12

Mike Nova's starred items

"Across southern Europe, the 'ugly German' is back – accused of driving other na...

via Financial Times's Facebook Wall by Financial Times on 2/14/12

"Across southern Europe, the 'ugly German' is back – accused of driving other nations into penury, deposing governments and generally barking orders at all and sundry." Read Gideon Rachman's column here: http://on.ft.com/A5tXma - Illustration by Ingram Pinn

Gennady Zyuganov, an old warhorse of Russian politics, is lined up to lose to Pu...

via FT World News's Facebook Wall by FT World News on 2/10/12

Gennady Zyuganov, an old warhorse of Russian politics, is lined up to lose to Putin in any second round for the presidency

Kremlin has plan B for poll run-off - FT.com
www.ft.com
For the first time, Vladimir Putin faces the possibility of a run-off for the presidency in March if his first-round vote falls below 50 per cent. In that case, the Kremlin has a fail-safe back-up plan.

Today's Global Insight column comes from Richard McGregor in Washington

via FT World News's Facebook Wall by FT World News on 2/13/12

Today's Global Insight column comes from Richard McGregor in Washington
Religious issues lose potency in US - FT.com
www.ft.com
It has been 40 years since Richard Nixon, influenced by an analysis that the majority of US voters were “unyoung, unpoor and unblack”, set on social issues to lure blue-collar Democrats into the Republican camp.

Popular Moscow radio station faces a board shake-up after criticism by Putin

via FT World News's Facebook Wall by FT World News on 2/14/12

Popular Moscow radio station faces a board shake-up after criticism by Putin
Move to curb Moscow radio station - FT.com
www.ft.com
The Kremlin-connected owners of a popular and outspoken radio station have demanded a shake-up at the broadcaster, prompting fears of a media crackdown as Vladimir Putin faces unprecedented protests.

As Syria crisis deepens, Ankara and Washington work together again. Today's Glob...

via FT World News's Facebook Wall by FT World News on 2/16/12

As Syria crisis deepens, Ankara and Washington work together again. Today's Global Insight from Daniel Dombey in Istanbul
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/339e16d6-57c5-11e1-b089-00144feabdc0.html
www.ft.com

Front page Friday 17 February: Sick and disabled people could be forced to work...

via The Guardian's Facebook Wall by The Guardian on 2/17/12

Front page Friday 17 February: Sick and disabled people could be forced to work for nothing
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/feb/16/disabled-unpaid-work-benefit-cuts

Guardian front pages

Beijing’s military spending will reach $238.2 billion in 2015, compared with $23...

via The Wall Street Journal's Facebook Wall by The Wall Street Journal on 2/15/12

Beijing’s military spending will reach $238.2 billion in 2015, compared with $232.5 billion for rest of the region.

China’s Military Spending to Double by 2015 – Report
blogs.wsj.com
China’s defense budget will double by 2015, making it more than the rest of the Asia Pacific region’s combined, a new report says.

We are deeply saddened by the loss of our colleague, Anthony Shadid, today in Sy...

via The New York Times's Facebook Wall by The New York Times on 2/16/12

We are deeply saddened by the loss of our colleague, Anthony Shadid, today in Syria. A collection of Anthony's remarkable reporting for The Times, in articles and video, is available here: http://nyti.ms/ncPmtj

Anthony Shadid, Reporter in the Middle East, Dies at 43
www.nytimes.com
Mr. Shadid, a two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize, spent most of his professional life covering the Middle East and was esteemed throughout his career for being an insightful analyst.

Russian Security Services Erase Role of Magas in 2004 Beslan Attack

via Russia Blogs's Facebook Wall by Russia Blogs on 2/15/12

Russian Security Services Erase Role of Magas in 2004 Beslan Attack
Russian Security Services Erase Role of Magas in 2004 Beslan Attack
On February 8, the newspaper Kommersant shed light on the current situation of the prominent Ingush militant leader Emir Magas (aka Ali Taziev, Ahmed Yevloev) – the only high-profile militant leader captured by the Russian security services alive in the past few years. In June 2010, Magas was arrested in Ingushetia and transferred to the FSB’s (Federal Security Service) Lefortovo prison in Moscow, but since then the public has received very...

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5:48 AM 2/17/2012: Breaking News : German President Christian Wulff has resigned this morning - German President Wulff quits over sleaze probe via Reuters: World News on 2/17/12 - Mike Nova's starred items

Mike Nova's starred items

Breaking News : German President Christian Wulff has resigned this morning.

via News's Facebook Wall by News on 2/17/12

Breaking News : German President Christian Wulff has resigned this morning.
Breaking News : German President Christian Wulff has resigned this morning.
Breaking News : German President Christian Wulff has resigned this morning.

German President Wulff quits over sleaze probe

via Reuters: World News on 2/17/12

BERLIN (Reuters) - German President Christian Wulff resigned on Friday after state prosecutors asked parliament on Thursday to remove his legal immunity over accusations that he accepted favors.

German president set to resign, in blow to Merkel

via News's Facebook Wall by News on 2/17/12

German president set to resign, in blow to Merkel
German president set to resign, in blow to Merkel
BERLIN (Reuters) - Angela Merkel's hand-picked choice for the ceremonial post of president was expected to resign Friday in a scandal over political favors, dealing a blow to the German chancellor in the midst of the euro zone crisis.

German President Could Lose His Immunity

via News's Facebook Wall by News on 2/17/12

German President Could Lose His Immunity
German President Could Lose His Immunity
Prosecutors requested on Thursday that Germany’s president be stripped of immunity from prosecution, saying they had evidence of his improper ties to business executives.

German president set to resign, in blow to Merkel

via News's Facebook Wall by News on 2/17/12

German president set to resign, in blow to Merkel
German president set to resign, in blow to Merkel
BERLIN (Reuters) - Angela Merkel's hand-picked choice for the ceremonial post of president was expected to resign Friday in a scandal over political favors, dealing a blow to the German chancellor in the midst of the euro zone crisis.

President Wulff’s Immunity Challenged in Germany

via News's Facebook Wall by News on 2/16/12

President Wulff’s Immunity Challenged in Germany
President Wulff’s Immunity Challenged in Germany
Prosecutors requested that Parliament strip President Christian Wulff of his immunity, saying they had “factual indications” of his inappropriate connections to executives.

(title unknown)

via News - Links's Facebook Wall by News - Links on 2/17/12


Analysis: Putin's state sector crackdown short on substance
www.reuters.com
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Vladimir Putin has ordered Russia's state firms to clean up their act, but without fundamental reforms he may only scratch the surface of endemic graft and conflicts of interest that

In Russia, Putin allies sharpen anti-American attacks ahead of elections - Washi...

via News's Facebook Wall by News on 2/16/12

In Russia, Putin allies sharpen anti-American attacks ahead of elections - Washington Post

In Russia, Putin allies sharpen anti-American attacks ahead of elections - Washington Post
Christian Science MonitorIn Russia, Putin allies sharpen anti-American attacks ahead of electionsWashington PostMOSCOW — A nasty spate of anti-Americanism set off by Vladimir V. Putin has grown into waves of attacks aimed at the new American ambassador and Russian opposition leaders, raising questions about the future of US-Russian relations.Putin on trial?...

UN General Assembly Condemns Syria

via News's Facebook Wall by News on 2/17/12

UN General Assembly Condemns Syria

UN General Assembly Condemns Syria
The UN General Assembly has approved a nonbinding resolution endorsing an Arab League plan that calls on Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad to leave office.

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Thursday, February 16, 2012

8:51 AM 2/16/2012: FT Review - Mike Nova's starred items

Time for Putin 2.0

via Financial Times - Editorial on 2/14/12

The task facing Russia can be summed up in one word – heard often from the current president but rarely the prime minister himself: modernisation

High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut & paste the article. See our Ts&Cs and Copyright Policy for more detail. Email ftsales.support@ft.com to buy additional rights. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e1b4c802-571e-11e1-be25-00144feabdc0.html#ixzz1mYL8RDuH

February 14, 2012 7:01 pm

Time for Putin 2.0

Vladimir Putin has spent thousands of words in Russian newspapers setting out a manifesto ahead of the presidential poll next month that, despite the protests against him, he is still all but certain to win. Yet the task facing Russia can be summed up in one word – heard often, though with little real effect, from the country’s current president but more rarely from Mr Putin himself: modernisation.

Modernisation requires far more than overhauling Russia’s creaking, resource-dominated economy. It means, above all else, replacing the arbitrary and often corrupt rule of the Kremlin and local bureaucracies with the rule of law, reinforced by the checks and balances of a modern democracy. Russia faces numerous handicaps in making that transition – in its history, its culture, its mind-boggling vastness. But with nominal output per capita topping $13,000 last year, it is at the level where many other countries have achieved it.

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Editorial

Steering the country to this point is, for all the repellent aspects of his system, Mr Putin’s undoubted achievement. “Putin 2.0” must move to the next stage. Russia needs an independent, well-trained judiciary; a functioning, competitive parliament; and free media. These, in turn, could boost protection of property rights and begin to combat corruption. That could encourage foreign investment and help small businesses, outside the extractive industries, to start to flourish. In economic policy, Mr Putin would be well advised to adopt the detailed “Strategy 2020” plan drawn up at his request by experts last year.

The prime minister’s articles contain elements of such a programme. But similar promises have been made before. The pressure revealed on Tuesday on Ekho Moskvy, the admirably independent radio station, is more reason to doubt his sincerity. The risk is Mr Putin again ducks the big reform challenges and goes for the ostensibly easier option. This would include some political liberalisation to appease the restive middle class, plus high-spending populism to retain the loyalty of his more working-class and rural “base”. With an already bloated budget, Russia cannot afford such largesse.

Real reforms will be tough, and potentially unpopular. But Mr Putin should expend his remaining political capital on setting them in train. He should, too, allow new leaders to emerge, both within and outside the Kremlin system, able to take up the challenge. He conducted an essentially sham handover of power in 2008; now he must begin preparing to do so for real.

Kosovo shows how the west can intervene in Syria

via Financial Times - Comment on 2/14/12

Fears of fuelling sectarian tensions are misplaced. Inaction, not intervention, will inflame the region’s divisions, writes Radwan Ziadeh

Responsibility and press freedom

via Financial Times - Editorial on 2/13/12

Any journalist attempting subterfuge to obtain a story has a hurdle to jump. In the case of paying police, it should be very high indeed

Xi Jinping’s US coming out party

via Financial Times - Editorial on 2/15/12

US-China relations are in an awkward holding pattern. There is little evidence that Mr Obama is shifting the position of the China supertanker

Obama attacks Chinese business practices

via Financial Times - US homepage on 2/15/12

US president and China’s leader in waiting travel to Midwest with contrasting messages. Xi tries to mend fences with American business

Facebook plays ball with Madison Ave

via Financial Times - US homepage on 2/15/12

Its relationships with advertising agencies are critical if the company is to justify its market valuation given that it relies on advertising for 85 per cent of its revenue

Assad announces reforms as crackdown continues

via Financial Times - Europe homepage on 2/15/12

State TV talks of referendum on constitutional changes while troops storm a Damascus suburb and extend bombardment to Hama

Fed rules out further easing to boost recovery

via Financial Times - Europe homepage on 2/15/12

Some FOMC members say the US central bank may soon have to consider buying more bonds ‘before long’ to avoid risks to the economy

Turkey-US harmony has its limits

via Financial Times - World on 2/15/12

As the Syria crisis deepens, Ankara and Washington are working together again, but the nature of their relationship has changed

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Obama attacks Chinese business practices

via Financial Times - World on 2/15/12

US president and China’s leader in waiting travel to Midwest with contrasting messages. Xi tries to mend fences with American business

Iran signals readiness for nuclear ‘dialogue’

via Financial Times - World on 2/15/12

Country’s supreme national security council, which is in charge of nuclear negotiations, expresses a readiness to resume talks

Greek rhetoric turns into battle of wills

via Financial Times - World on 2/16/12

Athens and German politicians exchange strong words over remaining in euro and holding of fresh elections

Syria chemical weapons alarm grows

via Financial Times - World on 2/15/12

Western fears increase that an alleged stockpile secured by the Assad regime could be attacked or seized by opposition groups or militants

Scepticism at talk of Greek default

via Financial Times - World on 2/15/12

Senior officials said they were becoming increasingly convinced that three eurozone triple A countries were not bluffing in talks

Greek bail-out worries knock sentiment

via Financial Times - World on 2/16/12

Euro drops below $1.30 and stock markets fall back, as investors fear that the impasse over Athens’ aid package may result in a messy default

Spain on brink of recession, data confirm

via Financial Times - World on 2/16/12

The eurozone’s fourth largest economy shrank for the first time in two years in the final quarter of last year

China warns on growing water shortages

via Financial Times - World on 2/16/12

The world’s second-largest economy struggles to deal with the immense environmental degradation that has accompanied economic growth

Obama and Xi should talk tech, not trade

via Financial Times - Opinion on 2/13/12

There is potential for productive discussion – provided US does not complain about exchange rates and unfair competition, writes Yukon Huang

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A budget for the rich and powerful

via Financial Times - Opinion on 2/13/12

The poor are the losers as US political parties converge not to the centre of public opinion, but well to the right, writes Jeffrey Sachs

Is America working?

via FT.com - In depth on 12/12/11

This FT series examines the US jobs crisis and looks at what can be done to make a once-mighty economy return to being the employment engine it once was

Stanford scandal

via FT.com - In depth on 6/19/09

Allen Stanford, the Texan businessman, is standing trial accused of orchestrating a $7bn Ponzi scheme over a ten-year period that has left more than 20,000 investors stranded

Greece debt crisis

via FT.com - In depth on 6/21/11

The eurozone’s weakest economy is struggling to bring sovereign debt under control in a crisis that George Papandreou, Greece’s prime minister, has admitted is of its own making. His government’s plans to tackle the budget deficit via ‘painful’ reforms have won the backing of Brussels but will remain under close scrutiny by the European Commission

UK phone-hacking scandal

via FT.com - In depth on 2/14/12

The intense political pressure brought to bear on Rupert Murdoch has resulted in News Corp abandoning its £7.8bn bid to take full control of BSkyB

Eurozone in crisis

via FT.com - In depth on 5/29/11

The €750bn European stabilisation mechanism agreed by the EU and the IMF is designed to restore confidence in the financial markets and to prevent contagion from the Greek sovereign debt crisis spreading within the eurozone

A denial of justice made in Strasbourg

via Financial Times - Editorial on 2/10/12

No country should be put in a position where it is forced to choose between justice and the protection of its own citizens

Let Greece stand on its own feet

via Financial Times - Editorial on 2/10/12

The metamorphosis that the country desperately needs will happen only if the Greek people want it

Stopping the Syrian carnage

via Financial Times - Editorial on 2/12/12

The calls grow louder for external actors in Europe, Turkey and the Gulf to start arming the disparate defectors operating under the Free Syrian Army

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Spanish justice on trial in Garzón case

via Financial Times - Editorial on 2/12/12

No public official should be allowed to break the law. But the fact that the crusading human rights judge was singled out raises suspicions

How to crank up America’s economic dynamo

via Financial Times - Comment on 2/14/12

Obama’s approach has taken the US to a fork in the road: the choice is growth and recovery or protection and decline, writes Glenn Hubbard

My journey to the heart of Greek darkness

via Financial Times - Comment on 2/15/12

I found pettifoggers worthy of Gogol – but I also found dedicated Greeks who shared the anarchists’ frustrations, writes Richard Parker

Google must remember our right to be forgotten

via Financial Times - Comment on 2/15/12

Users should have the right to change their minds as they learn the implications of that little box they unthinkingly ticked, writes Richard Falkenrath

Turkey-US harmony has its limits

via Financial Times - Comment on 2/15/12

As the Syria crisis deepens, Ankara and Washington are working together again, but the nature of their relationship has changed

US Treasury: Manhattan transfer

via FT.com - Analysis on 2/5/12

Rapid staff turnover is raising fears that the department is precariously short of seasoned professionals

Eurozone crisis: A deft way to buy time

via FT.com - Analysis on 2/7/12

With his bold offer of unlimited three-year liquidity to squeezed lenders, European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi has helped hold off a credit crunch – but deep economic and political problems remain

Germany and Europe: A very federal formula

via FT.com - Analysis on 2/9/12

Angela Merkel’s plans for a shift in power from EU members to Brussels would generate constitutional problems within Germany and worries among allies, writes Quentin Peel

European healthcare: Ailments encapsulated

via FT.com - Analysis on 2/15/12

As national health systems clamp down on drug costs, life sciences innovation is shifting away from what was the ‘world’s pharmacy’. By Andrew Jack

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Old Lady cannot rest on her laurels

via Financial Times - UK Homepage on 2/15/12

Inflation is under control, but UK recovery is not secure. The economy could do with more courage at the MPC. Sources of demand still look dry

News Corp panel suspects ‘serious criminality’

via Financial Times - Europe homepage on 2/15/12

The group’s investigations unit suspects cash payments worth more than £100,000 were made to police and other public officials

Morgan Stanley and Citi face losses on block trades

via Financial Times - Europe homepage on 2/15/12

European bankers have been aggressively bidding for such risky amid a marked slowdown of equity market activity in the region

Iran signals readiness for nuclear ‘dialogue’

via Financial Times - Europe homepage on 2/15/12

Country’s supreme national security council, which is in charge of nuclear negotiations, expresses a readiness to resume talks

China set to become biggest gold market

via Financial Times - Europe homepage on 2/15/12

China is set to surpass India in 2012 as the world’s largest consumer of gold, the World Gold Council predicts

The Enablers

via NYT > Editorials by on 2/13/12

China, Russia and India are resisting international action against Syria and Iran.

Op-Ed Contributor: Putin’s Critics Hit Big With YouTube

via NYT > Global Opinion by By SAMUEL RACHLIN on 2/16/12

Putin and his supporters should spend more time watching Russian YouTube to understand what's really brewing in the country.

Letter: Russia’s Veto on Syria

via NYT > Opinion Sun. 1pm by on 2/15/12

A Human Rights First official calls for sanctions against Russia for providing arms to Syria.

Aggressive Acts by Iran Signal Pressure on Its Leadership

via NYT > Business Day by By SCOTT SHANE and ROBERT F. WORTH on 2/16/12

A flurry of actions and statements by Iran this week suggest its leaders are responding frantically, and more unpredictably, to the tightening of sanctions by the West.

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8:16 AM 2/16/2012: NYT Review - Mike Nova's starred items

The Enablers

via NYT > Editorials by on 2/13/12

China, Russia and India are resisting international action against Syria and Iran.

February 14, 2012

The Enablers

China, Russia and India see themselves as global leaders. So why have they been enabling two dangerous regimes, Syria and Iran, to continue on destructive paths?

On Tuesday, President Bashar al-Assad showed again his willingness to use brutal force to crush the pro-democracy opposition. He brushed aside stinging criticism by Navi Pillay, the top United Nations human rights official, and resumed the shelling of the city of Homs. The government has barred independent reporting for most of the yearlong unrest, but activists said rockets and tank shells had pummeled the city.

The violence has gotten worse in the 11 days since Russia and China vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution, sponsored by the Arab League, calling for a peaceful transfer of power. India was on the right side that day, voting for the resolution. But, for months, it had worked to block action. The resolution was no panacea, but, if it had passed, it would have sent a compelling message of international solidarity against Mr. Assad and the elites who keep him in power.

Many Syrian deaths later, China may be reconsidering its stance. As an oil-hungry nation, it could not have failed to hear the rebuke issued to China and Russia on Friday by King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia for opposing the resolution. “We are going through scary days and unfortunately what happened at the United Nations is absolutely regrettable,” he said.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Wen Jiabao of China, speaking at a European-China summit meeting in Beijing, said, “What is most urgent and pressing now is to prevent war and chaos” in Syria. There is no evidence Russia has had similar second thoughts, but China is showing renewed interest in working with the Arab League. Beijing’s shift could shame Moscow into reconsidering its support for Mr. Assad, and approving United Nations action, including sanctions.

China and India are also hampering the effort to ratchet up sanctions on Iran even as penalties imposed by the Security Council, the United States and the European Union appear to be affecting Iran’s economy and politics. (The Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is expected to announce on Wednesday that a new uranium enrichment plant is fully operational.)

China cut its purchases of Iranian oil this year and secured alternative supplies from Russia and Saudi Arabia. But it is still a major purchaser. India is also still buying and is now Iran’s biggest oil customer. Because of American sanctions, these deals are not as lucrative as they could be for Iran.

The two countries’ need for oil is real, but they should take full advantage of Saudi Arabia’s offer to ramp up production to offset any losses from Iran. The International Energy Agency says there is enough oil supply worldwide to prevent a price shock from an embargo.

We do not know if sanctions can force Iran to give up its nuclear program or force it to negotiate a compromise deal. But the international community is finally at a moment when serious sanctions are in place and beginning to bite. Iran is finding it hard to pay for food imports and has resorted to bartering. It’s time for Russia, China and India (which desperately wants a Security Council seat) to meet the test of leadership.

That means all three need to work to find ways to limit Iran’s nuclear ambitions. For Russia and China, it means standing against Mr. Assad’s siege on his people.

Op-Ed Contributor: Putin’s Critics Hit Big With YouTube

via NYT > Global Opinion by By SAMUEL RACHLIN on 2/16/12

Putin and his supporters should spend more time watching Russian YouTube to understand what's really brewing in the country.

February 15, 2012

www.putin.skewered

By SAMUEL RACHLIN

The problem that Vladimir Putin and his team face is that they, quite simply, just don’t get it — they’re stuck back in the U.S.S.R. while an important and growing slice of Russia has moved firmly into the 21st century and, with tongue in cheek, is humming the latest YouTube hit: “Our madhouse votes for Putin / Our madhouse is happy with Putin.”

When a political leader becomes the laughing stock of such a huge share of his country’s 142 million people, he should start paying attention.

Some of the strongest acts on Russia’s YouTube are bands and performers who have taken rock, rap, parody and satire to a new level in Russia’s political culture, delivering their anti-government messages with irony and biting humor.

A shining leader among them is Rabfak, the band behind the now famous lines “Our madhouse votes for Putin.” Led by the songwriter Alexander Yellin and the guitarist-singer Alexander Semyonov, the band has released a string of outrageous and hilarious political songs.

Their madhouse patient complains that everything is so complicated and screwed up, but nobody cares to clean up the mess. He asks why there is such fraud, neglect and debauchery everywhere. For an answer, he gets an injection in his behind.

The Internet crowd loved the song and its madhouse metaphor — its directness and its absurdity. So much so, they voted it the best song in a YouTube competition announced by Aleksei Navalny, an anti-corruption blogger and one of the organizers of the recent demonstrations.

Pro-Kremlin bloggers are not sitting on their hands, and have created YouTube videos of their own. Some claim the opposition is plotting a coup concocted by Hillary Clinton. One is a scary apocalyptic vision of Russia without Putin: a country torn apart by civil strife with opposition leaders, nationalists and separatists at each others’ throats and citizens overwhelmed by refugees, war and famine.

But in terms of popularity and artistic creativity, YouTube belongs to singers and rappers who have rallied against Putin, President Dmitri Medvedev and their party, United Russia — the “party of crooks and thieves,” as it is labeled by bloggers, speakers and singers alike.

One of the other songs from Navalny’s competition, “A Song about Bears,” shows an image of Putin being transformed into Dobby, one of the elf characters from the Harry Potter films. Dobby is a recurring figure in songs by rappers who also like to show Putin with the hair and mustache of Hitler. Seemingly there are no boundaries for free speech on the Russian Web.

Since the dissidents of the ’70s and ’80s, Russia has not heard such daring voices reflecting the mood and misgivings of the nation. The difference is that today’s singers and bands have millions of listeners on the Web. Rabfak’s songs alone have received more than 4 million views. Other groups show similar numbers, and their Web audience has embraced them with likes, shares and LOLs, spreading the message in tweets and retweets.

In another hit, “A Cross for Everyone,” Rabfak displays a generous use of four letter words along with a play on words: the cross that voters use to mark their ballots and the Russian idiom, to “put a cross” on someone, meaning to take him out.

The words are put into the mouth of a regular voter, Ivan Nobody, who is fed up with all the candidates. Over images of the political leaders, he makes fun of how they try to charm him to get his vote. “A cross for everyone, a cross for everyone,” he declares.

In their newest YouTube song, “A New Song about Truth,” Rabfak mixes images of Moscow protesters with images from the Arab Spring and the Occupy movement.

Rabfak is knocking on the Kremlin’s door. Maybe Putin and his supporters should spend more time watching YouTube to understand what’s really brewing in their country.

Samuel Rachlin, a journalist and writer based in Washington, is a former Moscow correspondent for Danish TV.

Letter: Russia’s Veto on Syria

via NYT > Opinion Sun. 1pm by on 2/15/12

A Human Rights First official calls for sanctions against Russia for providing arms to Syria.

February 15, 2012

Russia’s Veto on Syria

To the Editor:

Re “Iran’s Achilles’ Heel” (Op-Ed, Feb. 8): While the Syrian regime methodically goes about the business of killing, arbitrarily detaining and torturing its citizens, Efraim Halevy explains Russia’s veto of Security Council action with the observation that “Russia simply wishes to maintain its access to Syria’s Mediterranean ports in Tartus and Latakia and to remain a major arms supplier to Damascus.” Access to ports, O.K. — but supplying arms?

Fortunately, even most casual observers recognize the link between the Syrian government’s atrocities and its enablers, including Russia. The United States may have little influence over the Assad regime, but it does have leverage with Russia. It must use that leverage to promote policies that increase the cost to Russia and others that enable the continuing Syrian atrocities.

More targeted sanctions against Russian companies that provide arms to the murderous regime are an immediate course of action that the Treasury should pursue.

GABOR RONA
International Legal Director
Human Rights First
New York, Feb. 10, 2012

Aggressive Acts by Iran Signal Pressure on Its Leadership

via NYT > Business Day by By SCOTT SHANE and ROBERT F. WORTH on 2/16/12

A flurry of actions and statements by Iran this week suggest its leaders are responding frantically, and more unpredictably, to the tightening of sanctions by the West.

DealBook: Moody's Unveils Broad Ratings Review of Major Banks

via NYT > Business Day by By JULIA WERDIGIER on 2/16/12

Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank, UBS and more than 100 other financial institutions might have their credit ratings cut by Moody's Investors Service because of increasingly challenging market conditions.

Europe Steps Up Talks With China on Its Market Status

via NYT > Business Day by By KEITH BRADSHER on 2/16/12

The trade issue is important because Prime Minister Wen Jiabao of China has linked it to the question of whether the country would help bail out the European Union.

Federal Reserve Unlikely to Buy More Assets

via NYT > Business Day by By BINYAMIN APPELBAUM on 2/15/12

Minutes of the Jan. 24-25 meeting of the policy group show that the central bank continued to predict only modest economic growth this year.

David Cameron to Deliver Speech Against Scottish Independence

via NYT > Global Home by By JOHN F. BURNS and ALAN COWELL on 2/16/12

Prime Minister David Cameron’s address in Edinburgh on Thursday is seen here as the first, sparring bout of a longer battle over a referendum on Scottish independence.

Karzai Arrives in Pakistan to Discuss Afghan Peace Talks

via NYT > Global Home by By ALISSA J. RUBIN on 2/16/12

President Hamid Karzai’s visit on Thursday came just after he announced that his government, with the United States, had begun face-to-face talks with the Taliban.

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Karzai Says Afghanistan Has Joined Talks With Taliban

via NYT > Global Home by By ALISSA J. RUBIN on 2/16/12

President Hamid Karzai said talks between Afghanistan, the Taliban and the United States were underway, signaling the end of a longstanding objection to face-to-face discussions.

Why Obama Will Embrace the 99 Percent

via NYT > Magazine by By NATE SILVER on 2/15/12

Any Republican who cannot connect with the white working class is going to have trouble in the Electoral College.

Op-Ed Contributor: This War Is Not Over Yet

via NYT > Opinion Sun. 1pm by By MARY L. DUDZIAK on 2/15/12

President Obama can’t have it both ways: if the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are ending, the detention of enemy prisoners without charges must end, too.

Letter: Russia’s Veto on Syria

via NYT > Opinion Sun. 1pm by on 2/15/12

A Human Rights First official calls for sanctions against Russia for providing arms to Syria.

Op-Ed Contributor: Putin’s Critics Hit Big With YouTube

via NYT > Global Opinion by By SAMUEL RACHLIN on 2/16/12

Putin and his supporters should spend more time watching Russian YouTube to understand what's really brewing in the country.

Letter: Recalling J.F.K.'s Dark Side

via NYT > Global Opinion by on 2/16/12

It's one thing to admit to an affair with the president of the United States, but it's another thing to go into detail about J.F.K.'s dark side.

From the International Herald Tribune: 100, 75, 50 Years Ago

via NYT > Global Opinion by on 2/16/12

Highlights from the IHT archives.

International Real Estate: Real Estate in Nicaragua

via NYT > Real Estate by By ALISON GREGOR on 2/15/12

The financial crisis hit hard enough to cut some house prices in half.

Property Values: What You Get for ... $475,000

via NYT > Real Estate by By MIKE POWELL on 2/15/12

A lodge-style house in Portland, Ore., a condo in Chicago and a house in Miami.

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Letter: Internet Piracy

via NYT > Global Opinion by on 2/15/12

The Consumer Electronics Association responds to an Op-Ed essay by a recording executive about Internet piracy.

Letters: Rich and Poor: The Education Gap

via NYT > Opinion Sun. 1pm by on 2/15/12

Readers respond to a front-page article, “Poor Dropping Further Behind Rich in School.”

The 6th Floor Blog: The Middle Class Sours on Benefits, Too

via NYT > Magazine by By MATT BAI on 2/13/12

If you read Sunday's Times and got further than the magazine (and our maddening crossword puzzle with too many French words in it), then you may have noticed a terrific article on the role of government in the lives of some middle-class Americans who nonetheless disdain it.

How Companies Learn Your Secrets

via NYT > Magazine by By CHARLES DUHIGG on 2/16/12

Your shopping habits reveal even the most personal information — like when you’re going to have a baby.

Olympic Ban on Saudi Arabia Is Urged Over Lack of Female Athletes

via NYT > Home Page by By CHRISTOPHER CLAREY on 2/16/12

The International Olympic Committee should make Saudi Arabia send female athletes to the London Olympics, a human rights group says, or it should be prohibited from competing.

Maryland Gay Marriage Faces Black Skepticism

via NYT > Global Home by By SABRINA TAVERNISE on 2/16/12

Supporters of a Maryland same-sex marriage bill are making a broad attempt to win over African-Americans, a demographic that has traditionally been skeptical about marriage equality.

Havana Journal: Real Estate Fever Spreads in Cuba

via NYT > Global Home by By VICTORIA BURNETT on 2/16/12

Cubans are injecting money into real estate, spurred by government measures to stimulate construction and a new law that allows property trades for the first time in 50 years.

State of the Art: Reviewing Pinterest, the Newest Social Media Site

via NYT > Global Home by By DAVID POGUE on 2/15/12

Time to make time for another social network. Pinterest is a free Web pinboard for any photos that you want to share.

Another Victory for Marriage Equality

via NYT > Editorials by on 2/8/12

Good news on same-sex marriage from California and Washington adds some critical momentum to votes scheduled for next week in the New Jersey Legislature.

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Still Secret After 30 Years?

via NYT > Editorials by on 2/10/12

An internal C.I.A. report on how the intelligence community decided that “yellow rain” was a chemical weapon should be made public.

His Eminence in Denial

via NYT > Editorials by on 2/12/12

A now retired Cardinal Edward Egan renounced the courageous apology he gave in 2002 for the church’s failure to deal with priests who abused children.

Pursuit of the Whistle-Blowers

via NYT > Editorials by on 2/13/12

A federal lawsuit raises disturbing questions about whether the F.D.A. retaliated against employees for trying to warn Congress about unsafe medical devices.

In Philadelphia, Papers’ Editorial Independence at Issue

via NYT > Business Day by By AMY CHOZICK and DAVID CARR on 2/15/12

A proposed sale to a group composed of the region’s most powerful Democrats is pitting newspaper management against the newsroom.

For London Youth, Down and Out Is Way of Life

via NYT > Business Day by By LANDON THOMAS Jr. on 2/16/12

The lack of opportunity is feeding a mounting alienation and anger among young people across Europe, threatening to poison the aspirations of a generation.

Former Executives and Bankers Arrested Over Olympus Fraud

via NYT > Business Day by By REUTERS on 2/16/12

Three former executives of disgraced medical equipment and camera maker Olympus Corp were arrested on Thursday over their role in a $1.7 billion accounting fraud, one of Japan's biggest corporate scandals.

US court dismisses Puerto Ricans' suit over arms testing - Reuters

via Puerto Rico News's Facebook Wall by Puerto Rico News on 2/14/12

US court dismisses Puerto Ricans' suit over arms testing - Reuters
US court dismisses Puerto Ricans' suit over arms testing - Reuters
US court dismisses Puerto Ricans' suit over arms testingReutersBy Terry Baynes (Reuters) - Puerto Rican residents lost a bid on Tuesday to force the US government to recognize the health effects on the local population of testing of weapons and experimenting with chemicals on the island of Vieques for decades.and more »

US court dismisses Puerto Ricans' suit over arms testing - Chicago Tribune

via Puerto Rico News's Facebook Wall by Puerto Rico News on 2/14/12

US court dismisses Puerto Ricans' suit over arms testing - Chicago Tribune
US court dismisses Puerto Ricans' suit over arms testing - Chicago Tribune
US court dismisses Puerto Ricans' suit over arms testingChicago TribuneBy Terry Baynes Feb 14 (Reuters) - Puerto Rican residents lost a bid on Tuesday to force the US government to recognize the health effects on the local population of testing of weapons and experimenting with chemicals on the island of Vieques for ...Court shields US military from health suitThomson Reuters News & Insightall 2 news articles »

US court dismisses Puerto Ricans' suit over arms testing - Chicago Tribune

via Puerto Rico News's Facebook Wall by Puerto Rico News on 2/14/12

US court dismisses Puerto Ricans' suit over arms testing - Chicago Tribune
US court dismisses Puerto Ricans' suit over arms testing - Chicago Tribune
US court dismisses Puerto Ricans' suit over arms testingChicago Tribune(Reuters) - Puerto Rican residents lost a bid on Tuesday to force the US government to recognize the health effects on the local population of testing of weapons and experimenting with chemicals on the island of Vieques for decades.and more »

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