Tag Archives: Government
Russia axes food inspections, Upton Sinclair spins in grave
What do you do if you have too many bogus food inspectors? Why, cancel all food inspections, of course! Which is exactly what the Russian government is doing. No more food inspections AT ALL until we can cleanse the country … Continue reading
Take everything you want, just, for god's sake, don't touch my car
This is the paradox of contemporary Russia: a nation-wide election is marred by massive, tragicomic fraud and no one — save for a few parliamentarians — so much as yawns. The government introduces a new transportation tax and a tariff … Continue reading
Just when it was all going so well, a pedestrian jumps under a car
Remember that post I did yesterday about the road safety ministry releasing data showing decreases in accidents, drunk driving and fatalities, as well as amazingly high pedestrian deaths? Well, in Rostov yesterday night — just a few hours after the … Continue reading
George Will to the rescue
Moscow’s municipal elections are in two days, so the government is stepping up its efforts to get out the vote. The solution? More quotes from American political figures. Before, we had Thomas Jefferson. Today, George Will. Yes, today, I stumbled … Continue reading
Tough but fair
The news that America is the world’s most popular country, according to Anholt-GfK Roper Nations Index, broke early this week everywhere but here. Yesterday, news came that Russia did not make it into the list of top ten favorites. (Apparently, … Continue reading
Incapacitating, soul-crushing beatings for all, or "welcome to the unit, son"
Last week, in a post associated with October 1, army draft day in Russia, I talked about the widespread phenomenon of “dedovshchina,” the “rule of the elders” that subjects recruits to beatings, hazing, robbery, enslavement and murder from their superiors. … Continue reading
I just flew in from Irkutsk and one of my arms fell off. Because I'm old.
A new study shows that the average age of planes in the fleets of Russian airlines is 18 years, making it one of the oldest fleets in the world. 18 years. That’s average. There go my CIS travel plans… via … Continue reading
