read between the lines..ignore rhetorical..perhaps..good night.

Scary stuff, THX. That's a deal, no need to die to save your speech - buy a web space with your provider and post anything you want on your web pages. Costs somewhat around 5 extra bucks a month. Or you can even register your own domain imnotstupid.com, for example, pay a provider for hosting and you can run your own chat room with your own TOS. Will cost you $35 per year for domain and around $25 per month for hosting. Big money, but if you want that your fingers, running all over keyboard, always be paid by someone else then you confuse free with freedom.

Anyway, if Antonio won't be able to navigate his way back - good riddance bad rubbish.

How could I missed that -

By THX1138 ( - 207.155.95.16) on Tuesday, July 11, 2000 - 08:34 pm: Dmitri... Perhaps you should take some anger management classes and examine what in Antonio's words are provoking such extremism hatred and violence in you.

THX just isn't sure - on second thought, perhaps Dimitri should proceed with his original intentions after all.

thx:
_freedom_ is not _license._

what a silly martyr, that antonio...
the role he yearns for in his dreams every night.

the silly martyr wished to annihilate the majority of planet earth in the name of a church who would flee in terror from him if they knew what was in head.

what a tired cliche, that the hatemongers and fanatics who wish to hurt/kill so many other people would be the first to cry "freedom of speech! freedom of speech!"

perhaps st.tony should exerecise his =koff= 'freedom' on a board among his peers.

as for you, dont confuse me with someone who gives a flying F*CK about what you have to say regarding me, or _anything else_ .

what you say about me is wrong.

hock-ptui.

Antonio, Have you ever been with submissive jewish girl, I mean not in "inferior" way? Highly recomended, try it, hot as armenian. It will soften your pose.

If anyone tries to shut off others, because they don't condone what that person writes, they are mental pigmies, and we need to condemn such people in strongest terms.

I have been on the receiving end of some of the most disgusting posts, yet never ever thought that those people should be thrown out of the board.

Any reasonable person can make their own judgement on any post. Everyone is free to make their own mind. Just remember those disgusting posts full of profanity, who did you think they were bringing discredit to?

Let people express their opinion, in their way, be it stupid, disgusting, wrong, offending, very persuasive, logical, whatever!

Do not try to be a Hitler or Stalin, trying to remove people's freedom of expression. That kind of behaviour only makes you worse than worst of all.

L'menexe,
Since you are the culprit, you should be shamed of yourself. You are really exposing yourself for what you are, a little punny Mussoloni! LOL.

Go and get me banned too, see who cares, you moron.

>>>>By THX1138 ( - 207.155.95.16) on Tuesday, July 11, 2000 - 08:32 pm:

Whether you agree or disagree with the Antonio is not the big picture. Whether what Antonio said was subjective or not is irrelevant, because everybody has the right to speak their mind, whether or not what they say is subjective or objective.

The real issue here, which I pointed out before, is that if one man's freedom of speech is trampled on, then anyone's and everyone's freedom is trampled on. If you approve of DMS censoring Antonio, then you would approve of any agency or forum or entity stripping Antonio of his freedom of speech. And if you would do that, then you implicitly approve of those who would strip you of your rights also.

Think about it people. >>>>


You made your point very well, however I am doubtful if many will understand, let alone agree with it.

Turk you were on the giving end of some of those racist posts also.He who lives in a glass house should not caste the first stone.I think we have all done it.I think he should not have gone off so much on Dima,however I think everyone can post what they want and the rest have the choice whether to read it or scroll fast.Myself I read everything except stuff from kavkaz.org

Mafiya Murder and The Russian Power Struggle
12 July 2000
Summary

The director of Russia’s “factory of factories” is shot outside his apartment by two hooded gunmen. The local press claims the attackers to be members of the region’s most powerful mafiya. As Sverdlovsk Regional Governor Eduard Rossel steps in to lead the investigation, the Interior Ministry announces that it will take control. President Vladimir Putin is now presented with an opportunity to achieve his ultimate goal of Russian economic and political power. Putin needs to quash corruption as well as reassert his control over the regional governors.

Analysis

The director of the Uralmashzavod machine works, Gen. Oleg Belonenko was shot outside of his company apartment July 10 by two hooded gunmen according to ITAR-Tass and Agence France Presse reports. Local press claimed the attackers to be members of the Uralmash Mafiya group, which has previously attempted to gain control of Uralmashzavod and extract profits from the company. Sverdlovsk Regional Governor Eduard Rossel initially announced that he would lead the investigation, but the Russian Interior Ministry later announced it would take control. President Vladimir Putin plans to exploit Rossel’s connections to the Uralmash mafiya, using his corruption as justification for tightening control over the regional governors.

Belonenko’s murder occurred in the Sverdlovsk region of Russia, in the city of Yekaterinburg, which is widely regarded by organized crime experts as the mafiya capital of Russia. Belonenko, a rising star in the Russian economy, had increased productivity at Uralmashzavod by 58 percent and sales by 90 percent. He succeeded in negotiating a full order schedule since his installment in December 1999. Belonenko was also named one of Russia’s top business managers and was scheduled to meet with Putin July 13 at a Russian arms exhibition.

Under Belonenko’s supervision, Uralmashzavod continued to play a critical role within the Russian economy, producing 90 percent of the mining equipment, 50 percent of the nuclear power equipment and 70 percent of the drilling equipment used in Russia. The factory’s operations, which also include the production of strategic alloy and military hardware, are the cornerstone of Russian economic production and vital to Russian heavy industry.

Belonenko had succeeded in rooting out mafiya influence already established under his predecessor Viktor Korovin. As recently as July 5, Belonenko won a court order to force the Uralmash mafiya to change its name, which he claimed negatively impacted the company. Being the largest mafiya group in the region, Uralmash are almost institutional figures, having run for parliamentary seats and started an anti-drug campaign within Yekaterinburg. Under Korovin, the Uralmash mafiya set up one hundred front companies to sell products produced at the plant. Thus, while Belonenko increased production, the profits were taken by the mafiya, who controlled the distribution channels.

Immediately following the killing, Sverdlovsk Regional Governor Eduard Rossel announced to local media that he would personally handle the investigation. Rossel, who has previously denied the existence of the Uralmash mafiya, has entered into construction and investment deals with Uralmash mafiya front companies. He and his former chief of the regional internal affairs Valeriy Krayev have attended birthday parties of Uralmash mafiya members. In addition, the group supported Rossel in his gubernatorial campaign in December 1999.

Upon hearing of Rossel’s statement, Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Rushailo immediately placed the investigation under control of his office and dispatched Interior Ministry investigators to Yekaterinburg. Putin’s personal representative to Yekaterinburg canceled a regional trip and was recalled to Moscow on July 11.

Vladimir Putin is now presented with a perfect test case to show his resolve, after taking a strong stance against corruption and organized crime in his State of the Union address to the Federal Assembly July 8. In order to achieve his ultimate goal of Russian economic and political power, Putin needs to quash corruption as well as reassert his control over the regional governors. Eduard Rossel is the poster child for Putin’s cause: a corrupt governor in a powerful region with obvious criminal connections. Additionally, Rossel has publicly criticized Putin on a variety of issues and has been talking to Putin foe Boris Berezovsky about forming a new political party.

Rossel’s blatant corruption provides a precedent-setting case with ample justification for Putin to act. Putin may now be able to counter his recent setback in the Federation Council, where he was denied the right to dismiss governors who violate federal laws. The deaths of rising stars in the Russian economy, such as the March 1995 murder of media executive Vladislav Listyev, are handicapping Putin’s efforts for economic recovery. Because of that, Putin will concentrate all his efforts on taking out Rossel.

By placing the Interior Ministry on the case, Putin can control the investigation directly and avoid a potential cover-up by Rossel. The governor’s connections to the mafiya – and especially his support for Berezovsky – make him an easy target for Putin. A governor like Rossel is a liability while Putin attempts to consolidate power in Moscow. In order to gain back power from gubernatorial control, Putin must act directly in order to show his enemies that he is serious about cracking down on corruption and asserting control over the regional administrations.

>>>>By IVAN Grozny ( - 149.99.71.37) on Tuesday, July 11, 2000 - 06:50 pm:
Russia may counter US in Taiwan Strait

"Mini Sino-Russian defence pact' will see Moscow's Pacific fleet blocking US ships if cross-strait ties worsen


TAIPEI -- Russia will deploy its Pacific fleet to keep the US Seventh Fleet out of the Taiwan Strait should worsening cross-strait ties lead to US military intervention, Taiwanese reports said.

President Vladimir Putin issued special instructions for the Russian military to be prepared for this line of action in the event that China-Taiwan tension deteriorated to a point where the US decided to intervene militarily.

When that happens, Russia's Pacific fleet will also step in to keep the US military force out of the region, Taiwan's media quoted a Central News Agency (CNA) report as having said. >>>>

Igor,
If this is true, it heralds a dangerous new chapter in international politics. I don't think USA will particularly care about Taiwan, but if Russia+China succeed in capturing Taiwan under their hegemony (control), it will open South Korea and Japan to new strategic danger in the short term, and USA in the long term. I am sure USA will not tolerate that to happen.

Not much the US will be able to do there short of threatening with nukes,however that will not work either since retaliation factor.Anyway too far away for States and none of their business being there in first place.Better for US to stay close to their own shores.It is time for power sharing again.

>>>>By IVAN Grozny ( - 149.99.71.37) on Tuesday, July 11, 2000 - 06:55 pm:

I think BARNSWEEIN should be kicked off.He has never not once mentioned anything that is remotly associated with this board except racict anti-Russian diareaha.If they throw off Antonio he should have been the first to go.>>>>

Igor,
I don't agree that he should have been thrown out. Everyone agrees that Jack is making himself an absolute idiot with his repetitive gross attacks to you, and his stupid chosen people rhetoric. But if he wants to make himself a fool, it should be up to him.

As a civilised person, you need to learn to ignore unwelcome attention on the net. I am sure Jack won't insult you on your face!!!

Japan and Russia are forging closer ties at summit G8

---

Is American Indifference Making the G-8 Obsolete?
0011 GMT, 000711
Summary

The foreign ministers of the G-8 nations are to meet in Miyazaki, Japan, on July 12 to prepare the summit of G-8 leaders, one week later. U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright will not attend, so that she can instead take part in the Middle East peace summit at Camp David. Albright’s absence will limit the Clinton administration’s influence over the full summit, leaving Japan and Russia free to promote their own agendas. But neither is strong enough to lead. The G-8 is becoming what its critics contend: obsolete.

Analysis

On July 5, U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright announced that she would not attend the G-8 foreign ministers’ meeting. Her decision has been met with disappointment and even pique, particularly in Japan. Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister Yoshiji Nogami cautioned that it would be “difficult for U.S. opinions to be heard” without Albright in attendance, reported Japan’s Kyodo News Service.

Nogami added, “If the U.S. thinks the presence of someone who is not a minister … is enough to secure its interests, that is its decision.” Local officials in Miyazaki were similarly upset; they were to name a new, $47 million civic hall after Albright, in honor of her visit. The U.S. State Department has promised that Albright will visit the city at some other time.

However, while Washington is soothing the feelings of the Japanese, it has shown less concern for the summit itself. This marks the first time that Washington has failed to send a full delegation to the G-8 ministerial meeting; instead, Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott will represent the United States. To a degree, the administration’s decision reflects a declining interest in the organization that previous administrations have insisted upon leading – and multilateral organizations in general.

The G-7, as it was originally known, represented the seven largest industrialized democracies and was dominated by the United States. The inclusion of Russia and the growing regional focus of the individual members have mitigated U.S. interest in the organization. This fits a growing pattern, in which the United States is less inclined to take part in multinational organizations that it does not dominate. Examples of American indifference have been seen at recent meetings of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings and the fact that the United States led NATO into action in Kosovo last year, without a U.N. mandate.

With U.S. interest in multinational bodies waning, the future of the organization is in question. Already, there are few pressing issues on the table at the G-8 summit. Japan has insisted that the summit focus on preventing and resolving conflict. For Tokyo, the summit presents an opportunity to demonstrate leadership of the world’s industrialized nations. Japan also seeks to represent larger Asian interests, going so far as to unsuccessfully invite Chinese participation in an observer status.

Conflicts and prospects for peace in East Timor, the Middle East, the Korean peninsula and Cyprus are likely to be discussed. But conspicuously absent will be any debate on relations between China and Taiwan or Russia’s involvement in Chechnya. The Japanese government is clearly seeking to mollify Moscow.

In part, the Mori government also wants to keep the summit from becoming a diplomatic battleground between the Russians and the Americans, over plans for a National Missile Defense (NMD). The Russian agenda includes asking for forgiveness of old loans as well as missile defense. Discussion of both the proposed NMD and modifications to the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) treaty will likely dominate bilateral sideline meetings.

With the United States represented at a lower level during the foreign ministers’ meeting, Japan and Russia have a greater opportunity to push their own agendas. However, Japan’s domestic political and economic problems limit its ability to truly take the reins and Russia has yet to be fully integrated into the organization. With waning U.S. interest, the G-8 is becoming exactly what its critics have said: obsolete.

>>>By IVAN Grozny ( - 149.99.71.155) on Wednesday, July 12, 2000 - 02:38 am:
Not much the US will be able to do there short of threatening with nukes,however that will not work either since retaliation factor.Anyway too far away for States and none of their business being there in first place.Better for US to stay close to their own shores.It is time for power sharing again. >>>

I agree. But power is a very strange thing, and people (and contries) blessed with power usually abuse it, often to the detriment of themselves and everyone else. So, as I said, if the article is correct, we need to fasten our belts for the ride.

The thing with Bernswein is that he threatens me not that I am worried but that his BS is totally irrelevent to topics.