[AmericanExceptionalist]

Russia named its price yesterday for providing help in the investigation into the death by poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko. It demanded that Britain hand over the enemies of President Putin who have been given asylum in London.

It is a sure sign of a weak (if not illegitimate) regime: It simply cannot brook dissent, even from afar.

Not that long ago, I was of the (apparently naive) opinion that the days of the Solzhenitsyns and Sakharovs were a thing of the past. Russia, the embryonic democracy--freed from its totalitarian past--would at least tolerate dissent, if not embrace it.

It was a nice thought.

[GSlob]

"Not that long ago, I was of the (apparently naive) opinion that the days of the Solzhenitsyns and Sakharovs were a thing of the past."
Well, whenever that old opinion comes upon you again - remember that I could sell you a large piece of kremlin for a song and a couple of dollars. All the others would be charging you at least $2.50, and the more brazen ones would demand $3. Besides, their kremlin is of inferior quality, with polonium.