Russia's english language news channel, Russia Today, has the new law against photographing police officers in the UK as one of the main headlines. They ask if this proves that Britain is now a police state. The laws and attitudes abandoned by the Eastern Block following the collapse of Communism have been adopted in Western Europe. The policies we used to criticise the Soviet's for have now been adopted as our own, and so it is they who now criticise us. It is everything turned around.

East has become West.

Russia still has many problems but, compared to Britain, Russia is now a shining example of Freedom.

Total reversal.

Al...it is quite obvious that you have never been to Russia - and it is very easy to make these broad statements from afar, using just the local media.

The first part of your penultimte paragraph is true - the rest is not. It will take a very long time for the legacy of Communism to disappear.

For the sake of brevity, I make one very obvious point - corruption is endemic, even if there is some more freedom. And - to those of us who have lived in Russia - corruption is an antithesis of freedom.

Al - you are right - you are soooooo right. You have spotted what has happened.

The WORLD has suffered some sort of information reversal.

See my post about the economy. Now we get told that BAIL OUTS are necessary for BANKRUPT BANKS - rather than cutting them loose. Throw taxpayers money at bad debts - ridiculous. Against EVERY FINANCIAL RULE and SENSE ever made.

We are now in the era of DOUBLESPEAK ( it is the successor to SPIN - and ORWELL correctly said this would happen )

We started with
WAR IS PEACE ( Iraq )
SECURITY IS FREEDOM ( Terrorist Laws as in this thread )
LOAN TO DEBTORS ( Bail Out Packages )

You have hit the NAIL on the head. BLACK is now WHITE and WHITE is now BLACK. Everyone is confused and we are like SHEEP in the headlights of the MEDIA - we dont know WHAT TO DO ( Sweet song springs to mind )

QUESTION EVERYTHING - and dont WORRY if people call you a conspiracy nut - be a TRUTH SEEKER !!!!

Together we can enlighten the WORLD and stop this grab for power by the NWO.

Actually, one side of my family is Russian and I have been quite often. But opinions and reactions will always different.

Al... that's a bit odd !

In a previous post (about NYC, I think) you said - to make your point - that you did'nt have a passport or driving licence !

How then did you travel to Russia ?

I have also been to Russion prior to the Iron Curtain coming down.

Al is totally right.

What developed in Russia is what is developing here :

1, Most people work for the state

2. Surveillance in buildings was rife and most people spoke in the open air ( Would not be possible in Police State UK because of CCTV )

3. People were poor but the elite had no limit to their money !!

4. The news was managed by spin doctors and guided by the Politburo.

5. They failed to admit problems though the public was totally aware of them ( sounds familiar )

6. Surveillance was the method of control and poverty kept people down because they had enough to live but not enough to protest.

In an ID Cards topic on 20/11/08, Al said 'I do not drive and do not own a passport.'

I too would like to know how he has been to Russia 'quiet often.'

Just in case I ever lose my passport which is very closely examined every time I enter that country.

It's quite easy really. I haven't always not had a passport. They do expire. I don't think Russia will have gone too far back downhill over the past couple of years. Plus I can keep up with family members in that part of the world via internet.

Nothing terribly sinister, I'm afraid.

And (before other minds start to wander) no my passport was not blocked. I just haven't bothered to renew it yet. On the ID side, I was told that an expired passport is not acceptable as proof of ID. And I still do not drive.