Thread: Elections in Belarus

Very interesting to hear bsod's insights into the political situation in Belarus.

The reason I seem like I "defended" Lukashenko was simply because I thought he was managing to protect people in Belarus from all the really terrible things that went on in Russia in the 1990s... For example when regular people were so desperate that they turned to prostitution, selling their personal property and memorabilia, gangster criminality... That is just so tragic and undignfied! And for what... so that a few people can cruise around in luxury cars and stuff away money in Switzerland and the IMF can say that "conditions conducive to a good investment climate have been created" (at the cost of human dignity)...

I understand that there is a "middle class" in the large cities of Russia now... but there is still so much poverty and destitution in rural Russia, isn't that right? Same in Ukraine. I just can't support any politician who wants that to happen and I got the impression that Lukashenko's policies had prevented that, and that he was trying to introduce market reforms at a slower pace. That seemed sensible to me at least. But really, my understanding of all this is not that great...

Originally Posted by bsod

Lukashenko will be elected for the next time again... and then Nikolay Alyaksandravich Lukashenko will grown up...

Are you kidding?! Do people really think that would happen? Surely people would not put up with that?!! It's outrageous.

Originally Posted by Hanna

The reason I seem like I "defended" Lukashenko was simply because I thought he was managing to protect people in Belarus from all the really terrible things that went on in Russia in the 1990s... For example when regular people were so desperate that they turned to prostitution, selling their personal property and memorabilia, gangster criminality... That is just so tragic and undignfied! And for what... so that a few people can cruise around in luxury cars and stuff away money in Switzerland and the IMF can say that "conditions conducive to a good investment climate have been created" (at the cost of human dignity)...

I understand that there is a "middle class" in the large cities of Russia now... but there is still so much poverty and destitution in rural Russia, isn't that right? Same in Ukraine. I just can't support any politician who wants that to happen and I got the impression that Lukashenko's policies had prevented that, and that he was trying to introduce market reforms at a slower pace. That seemed sensible to me at least. But really, my understanding of all this is not that great....

That's funny but you've just repeated word-by-word what Alexander Prohanov said several hours ago at "Echo Moskvy" radio:

Радиостанция "Эхо Москвы" / Блоги / Видеорадио / "Особое мнение" Александра Проханова + кардиограмма эфира / Комментарии

And btw, I agree with most of this, although I don't like Lukashenko at all.

Originally Posted by Basil77

That's funny but you've just repeated word-by-word what Alexander Prohanov said several hours ago at "Echo Moskvy" radio. And btw, I agree with most of this, although I don't like Lukashenko at all.

I could only understand bits here and there of what Prohanov was saying and he's using a lot of "difficult" words...

But as a general observation, it seems to ME that many things that happened in the early 1990s in the ex USSR was not generally in the interest of most people. Seems that Lukashenko was the only CIS leader who realised that and put the brakes on.. Whether what he did after that was right or wrong.. is the question. Perhaps he allowed the country to stagnate.

I guess guess there WAS no easy solution, but the idea of "freedom" at the price of poverty, suffering and degradation for so many in society simply can't be what the majority would really have wanted! Doing the reforms slower might have prevented a lot of that.

And look at the ex Soviet republics how things have worked out there... In Central Asia they certainly don't have any more democracy now, than under the USSR, but now they are also much poorer also have less opportunities to improve their lives.

BBC makes pretty good and transparent surveys. Here is what they found in 2009, in the survey "Twenty Years after Fall of Berlin Wall" (full survey with questions and methodology)Twenty Years after Fall of Berlin Wall

Originally Posted by BBC World Services Survey

.....majorities would like their government to be more active in owning or directly controlling their country’s major industries in 15 of the 27 countries. This view is particularly widely held in countries of the former Soviet states of Russia (77%), and Ukraine (75%), but also Brazil (64%), Indonesia (65%), and France (57%).

Majorities support governments distributing wealth more evenly in 22 of the 27 countries —on average two out of three (67%) across all countries. In 17 of the 27 countries most want to see government doing more to regulate business—on average 56%.


The poll also asked about whether the breakup of the Soviet Union was a good thing or not. (.....)

Among former Warsaw Pact countries, most Russians (61%) and Ukrainians (54%) believe the breakup of the Soviet Union was a bad thing.

Originally Posted by Hanna

Are you kidding?! Do people really think that would happen? Surely people would not put up with that?!! It's outrageous.

If you turn your face to commie hell, you should be ready for all its features, not only for those you'd prefer to take out of it.

And what makes you think there's no poverty or prostitution or criminal gangs there? When some people get paid around $80 - 100 a month, what is it called? I just don't wanna get myself disappointed finding out you're working for their official TV channels or so... tell me it's not true But then, I just fail to see what makes you see the things going on there through rose-colored spectacles...