Belarus - Government tightens grip on Internet

[W. R.]

Really, when I look at a country like North Korea, for example, I see a perfect opportunity for co-operative economics and workplace democracy to subvert the system.

Why not Belarus? A great position to start from.

Who in Belarus is working toward these aims, rather than liberalism?

As any regime lukashism has its pluses and minuses. This regime keeps us away from the EU, for example, and for most Belarusians joining the EU is an abstract idea, thus not especially popular. Belarus is still sovereign, and Lukashenka is not a puppet of Russia.

Though this regime prevents normal building of the Belarusian nation, preserves the Soviet-style economy, which makes oppositionists heavily dependent of grants from abroad.

The best term to describe the regime is "totalitarianism-light". There is no fair elections, no independent TV, thus all the parties are in piteous condition. None of them is supported by more than 2-3% of electorate.

The only party more or less worth trusting is Conservative Christian Party. At least the only honest party ("the decrease of the percentage of ethnic Belarusians is unacceptable"). All the others are bunch of losers who rather imitate political struggle.

So it goes.

Now you know much more about the political "life" in Belarus, Fortis in Arduis.

[Jarl]

Belarus is still sovereign, and Lukashenka is not a puppet of Russia.

This I doubt. I mean how can any country be sovereign with its authorities being KGB agents and Russian military bases still present throughout its territories, while the country itself is economically totally dependent on Moscow? And has asked Moscow for 1,5 bln $ to "stabilise the economy"?

http://www.kwsm.uni.wroc.pl/pdf/rola...bialoruska.pdf

To be sovereign one needs at least some of these ingredients: a strong army, a strong economy, resources and independent government. Belarus seems to have none.

[Fortis in Arduis]

One might however suggest that Belarus has more national sovereignty than any EU member state.

[Jarl]

One might however suggest that Belarus has more national sovereignty than any EU member state.

Seriously Fortis... It has no more sovereignty than the Trans-Dniester Republic. Jus look up any, I repeat - ANY, article on recent history and politics of Belarus. All present the same view - it is a regime of ex-KGB agents which simply cannot exist without Russia.

This is wikipedia, but still a nice article on Belarus and the fathers of its "sovereignty". Read it:

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

[W. R.]

This I doubt. I mean how can any country be sovereign with its authorities being KGB agents and Russian military bases still present throughout its territories, while the country itself is economically totally dependent on Moscow? And has asked Moscow for 1,5 bln $ to "stabilise the economy"?

http://www.kwsm.uni.wroc.pl/pdf/rola...bialoruska.pdf

To be sovereign one needs at least some of these ingredients: a strong army, a strong economy, resources and independent government. Belarus seems to have none.

Then why hasn't Russia persuaded Belarus to recognise South Osetia and Abkhasia, for example? Or to introduce the Russian rouble as our currency (the idea is even older than the regime itself)? I'm just wondering.

[Fortis in Arduis]

I will not read the article, Jarl, but I will take your word for it.

After doing some research I did also notice that the BPF had more balls about them, but what is their economic policy?

A big mystery, at least on their English pages.

This is a very decent pressure group, but not a political party, but that was how the BNP started in the UK.

[Jarl]

Then why hasn't Russia persuaded Belarus to recognise South Osetia and Abkhasia, for example? Or to introduce the Russian rouble as our currency (the idea is even older than the regime itself)? I'm just wondering.

Noone gives a damn about puppet Osetia's recognition or bullshit Belarusian currency. This means nothing. I am talking about Lukashenko and his well-known past, about Sbierbank's loan of 4 bln US, about Gazprom's monopoly, and about strategic Russian military bases like in Hancewicze. These are rough facts that should tell you a totaly different, REAL, story.