[pavs]

The comparison was not between putin's Russia and Russia 50 years ago. It was between Russia and USA. Despite everything that is fucked up and wrong with US Government, I would hope (perhaps naively), its still better than Russia in terms of human rights at least?

[jacquesm]

> I would hope (perhaps naively), its still better than Russia in terms of human rights at least?

That depends on a lot of factors:

- are you homosexual

- ethnically caucasian

- A subscriber to Islam

- have a name that matches the name of someone on a no-fly list

- an 'enemy combatant' (ages 13 and up)

- an activist of sorts

Or anyone of a hundred other arbitrary criteria. Those could make the difference between a safe & secure life 'just' being harassed periodically by people in uniform or spending time in Gitmo or Siberia.

[geoka9]

> ethnically caucasian

Actually, that matters in Russia a lot, too. Although, their meaning of the word is different (Russian Caucasians are people originated from around the Caucasian Mountains; that's where all the guerilla fighting is currently going on).

[pavs]

I agree with you and I am saying this from personal experience.