Russian Human Rights? Only if you have your own money to pay for them!
A new law that just passed through the first reading and approval in the Russian state Duma "would forbid Russian charities and not-for-profit organizations (or NGOs) from accepting foreign funding for political activities. It would also bar international organizations from having representative or branch offices in Russia or hiring non-Russian workers. Additionally, it would grant the government-wide oversight over such organizations..." (VOA News).
This particular story is in many different international newspapers and even some Russian papers. Obviously, it doesn't make the television news that I've seen so far--but all television is state controlled.
Anyway, while I can understand the point, I still can't agree with it. Obviously, if the government of Russia doesn't support these organizations that assist in development and the promotion of general human rights, then these organizations will find support from somewhere else.
Are these groups 'spies'? Well, they are watching and evaluating the countries freedoms, elections, and human rights. If this information is considered secret and then passed off to the rest of the world, then I might see the label as spy. Although, coming from a country that actively spies on even it's best of friends (German is a recent example), then I guess they also are the reason for their own paranoia.
The fact remains that stifling such groups won't end their chances for uprisings or monitoring. For that, they may have to look to China and start censoring our blogs as well.
Maybe the real question for me is: How can it affect me? I guess that question remains really. For now it doesn't, but it might after there are redrafts, amendments, and another few readings/votes that will obviously be approved by an ever increasing centralized government. But if things do affect me, then the question becomes: Can I make enough money to remain an exception to the law? Well, that's the question for every law here, I think.
[Hopefully things won't affect me, because other than government ideas like this one, I like it here.]
This particular story is in many different international newspapers and even some Russian papers. Obviously, it doesn't make the television news that I've seen so far--but all television is state controlled.
Anyway, while I can understand the point, I still can't agree with it. Obviously, if the government of Russia doesn't support these organizations that assist in development and the promotion of general human rights, then these organizations will find support from somewhere else.
Are these groups 'spies'? Well, they are watching and evaluating the countries freedoms, elections, and human rights. If this information is considered secret and then passed off to the rest of the world, then I might see the label as spy. Although, coming from a country that actively spies on even it's best of friends (German is a recent example), then I guess they also are the reason for their own paranoia.
The fact remains that stifling such groups won't end their chances for uprisings or monitoring. For that, they may have to look to China and start censoring our blogs as well.
Maybe the real question for me is: How can it affect me? I guess that question remains really. For now it doesn't, but it might after there are redrafts, amendments, and another few readings/votes that will obviously be approved by an ever increasing centralized government. But if things do affect me, then the question becomes: Can I make enough money to remain an exception to the law? Well, that's the question for every law here, I think.
[Hopefully things won't affect me, because other than government ideas like this one, I like it here.]