Quote Originally Posted by Eric C. View Post
OMG Hanna, I can't believe my eyes... Have you ever been there? You know, the term of "social democracy" as it's seen in Sweden pretty much differs from how it's seen in Belarus...
Of course I realise that. And no, I haven't been there, but maybe I should add Belarus to my CIS country itinerary this spring. A friend of mine went there for work (she is a journalist, specialising in education). She said the country was in better shape than Ukraine that she also visited.

If somebody credible from Belarus comes here and says his life is a living hell because of Lukashenko's policies and gives some concrete examples, then I'll happily change my mind.

But for the time being I believe that the claims about Lukashenko being an evil dictator are about as true as the statements regarding WMDs in Iraq or the righteousness of the war in Afghanistan. And if I was American I'd worry more about what goes in in Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib, than in Belarus anyway.

As far as I can make out, over 65% of Belarussians turned out to vote (normal figure). Of those, 80% voted for Lukashenko without any threats coercion or checks.
This is being verified by international observers, most of who would probably love to find something untoward.