Tag Archives: corruption

La Russophobe Strikes Back

Letters, we get letters, we get lots of cards and letters every day. Even fan mail from La Russophobe! Letter to the Editor: Reply to “Given Free Publicity On NTV, Khodorkovsky Only Incriminates Himself Further” (06/11/2011). In a recent blog post, … Continue reading

Posted in Da Russophile | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Given Free Publicity On NTV, Khodorkovsky Only Incriminates Himself Further

Following the failure of Khodorkovsky’s appeal against his prison sentence for theft and money laundering, state-owned NTV aired a positive segment on his case on national prime time. Most sides of the story were mentioned: Amnesty International’s designation of him … Continue reading

Posted in Da Russophile | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

The Starshov Vs. Markov Bitch Wars, NTV Version

Remember Evgeny Starshov? That’s the Duma intern who was surprised to see his ass kicked out of the State Duma after blogging about their card playing and iPad pr0n surfing habits during plenary sessions, taxpayer-funded binge shopping at airports, and the “fat … Continue reading

Posted in Da Russophile | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

How NOT To Be A Whistleblower In Russia: The Case Of Yevgeny Starshov

In 2009, the UK was rocked by lurid revelations about MP’s expenses: home renovations, expensive meals and holidays, and even apartments fraudulently claimed by Parliamentary deputies. Apologies, recriminations, resignations, and even prosecutions followed in the wake of the documented evidence published … Continue reading

Posted in Da Russophile | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

In Which La Russophobe Interviews The Russophile Sociopath Blogging At Sublime Oblivion

Two weeks ago, I received a Facebook message from Kim Zigfeld, she of the infamous La Russophobe, asking me if I was interested in an interview with her. It didn’t take long for me to come to the right decision. … Continue reading

Posted in Da Russophile | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 19 Comments

Corruption Realities Index 2010

The most famous corruption indicator is Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index. Its only problem is that the perceptions of their self-appointed experts have nothing to do with reality! As I explained in previous posts on this blog, it suffers from … Continue reading

Posted in Coffee House | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 19 Comments

National Comparisons: Politics & Media

In the fourth part of my series comparing Russia, Britain, and the US, I turn my attention to aspects of their politics, including: markets and freedom; media independence; the role of “dissident” voices, billionaires, and corruption; and Internet culture. Some … Continue reading

Posted in National Comparisons | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Luzhkov Flees To Albion On Heels Of Russian Corruption Investigation

Refused residency in Austria and Latvia, we know learn that the disgraced former mayor of Moscow Yuri Luzhkov has been granted an entrance visa to the UK. According to an ITAR-TASS source, it was granted on the basis of “reunifying the family.” … Continue reading

Posted in Da Russophile | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

REPRINT: Is Putin Pitiable, Or Is The Financial Times Corrupt?

A thundering takedown of the Financial Times transparently one-sided coverage of the Khodorkovsky affair -and Khodorkovsky says Putin is ‘pitiable’ can also serve as a palimpsest for Western media coverage of this topic in general – from Eric Kraus at Truth … Continue reading

Posted in Da Russophile | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Exercises in Banality: The Moral Preening By Khodorkovsky Apologists

My views on Khodorkovsky – and by extension his being found guilty of $25bn embezzlement – aren’t exactly a secret (1, 2, 3) so I’ll keep this brief. 1. As usual, the only people who care about this are Western … Continue reading

Posted in Da Russophile | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments