CNN: Anti-Kremlin Protesters Clash in St. Petersburg

MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- Hundreds of anti-Kremlin protesters crowded the streets of St. Petersburg, Russia's second largest city, Sunday and clashed with riot police a day after similar demonstrations in Moscow.

The protesters chanted slogans against President Vladimir Putin, whom they blame for rolling back democratic reforms in Russia and persecuting his political opponents.

Dozens were arrested at the unauthorized St. Petersburg rally, including Eduard Limonov, an opposition leader and member of "The Other Russia" -- a coalition of opposition groups that organized the rally. (full article)

It appears to me that Russia is slowly starting to creep back into Soviet Union territory as of late. The rollback of personal freedoms in that country is troubling but not surprising. Russia has been a corrupt country throughout the Cold War and afterwards, with many oligarchs controlling the industry. In fact, in the 2007 Freedom in the World survey (link), Russia has a rating of 6 for political rights and a 5 for civil liberties (on a scale of 1 to 7 where 1 is the most free), giving it a ranking of "not free."

If our goal is to spread freedom around the world, why is Russia not free? Why aren't we invading the former Communist country in a pre-emptive strike to help this repressed people? I mean, they have valuable natural gas, oil, and timber, and they have tired huddled masses yearning to be free.

Oh, I guess it's because they're white. That's why we don't do it. That and the fact that they have 2500 nukes that could be directed at our coastline.

We need to use what little credibility we have in the world to promote freedom through diplomatic means everywhere, not just in Arab countries that just happen to have oil.

~ Дип Блу