Mar 042007
 

From the Boston Globe, headlined: Russian riot police break up protest against the Kremlin

Police clubbed protesters and dragged them into waiting buses yesterday in response to a defiant demonstration against the Kremlin in the heart of President Vladimir Putin’s hometown.

Several thousand members of liberal and leftist groups chanted “Shame!” as they marched down St. Petersburg’s main avenue to protest what they said was Russia’s rollback from democracy. The demonstration, called the March of Those Who Disagree, was a rare gathering of the country’s often fractious opposition.

It was at least the third time police have moved in to break up an anti-Kremlin protest in recent months.

“They said,” there has been a rollback from democracy? How come that rates a “they said”? There wasn’t a “they said” for the phrase, “fractious opposition.” There wasn’t a “they said” for the word “defiant.” So how come “rollback from democracy” gets that tag? Does Putin deny that he’s rolling back democracy?

Mar 042007
 

You’ve got to love comments like this, from a Washington Post Article headlined: Intelligence Specialist’s Shooting Stirs Speculation : No Motive Known as Comments on Putin are Debated

Law enforcement sources have said it is unclear whether the gunmen were trying to rob Joyal.

Well, yes, I suppose it is unclear in the same sense that it is unclear whether space aliens were trying to abduct Paul Joyal. Either way, not one iota of evidence was provided to suggest that’s what was going on.