Whiskey on the rocks.

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What you believe to be Russia's borders. And what Russia believes to be its borders.

Russia know their borders pretty well.
But their navigation skills are somewhat...
For instance when Russian soldiers entered Ukriane by foot about 30 km!
They have both GPS and GLONASS.
If not, why not use a map?
Heck. I can navigate even without a map.

Please forgive and thank you for chat :)

Looking forward for some more discussions with you.
And please remember that Finland are celebrating their 100th birthday.
С днём рождения!

How does a KGB (FSB today) agent look like?
He didn't like to be photographed in Stockholm.

Needless to say, Russia called him home:)

Снова Сму́тное вре́мя :( (Time of Troubles again)
Around 500 people have been detained in central Moscow during a rally, with Aleksey Navalny the anti-corruption campaigner who is President Vladimir Putin's most prominent critic among them.
More rallies, some unsanctioned and others permitted by local authorities, took place all across Russia, St Petersburg, Ekaterinburg, Vladivostok today..
https://www.rt.com/news/382342-opposition-protest-russia-police/

Old people having trouble crossing a busy Moscow street can just shout 'DEMOCRACY!!' and Russian police will rush to help.

Putin says "146% of Russians elected me & I got Trump elected with 48%"

Russian history gives us the answer.

Oh dear...
Ok they did a great job in WWII.
Well sort of to many neighbouring countries.
From Nazi oppression to Russian oppression.

Do you really think that the lack of so-called "Free Speech" was an important reason of russian revolutions in the begining of the 20-th century?
Trust me, that definetely was not the top problem of our people :)

Do you really think that the lack of so-called "Free Speech" was an important reason of russian revolutions in the begining of the 20-th century?
Trust me, that definetely was not the top problem of our people :)

If you look at the 21th century most Russians doesn't seem to care who are leading the country.
The turnout was only about 35% in the last year parliamentary election.
In the western world that is called a disaster.

Anti-corruption video that sparked the protests across Russia on Sunday.
With English subtitles. https://youtu.be/qrwlk7_GF9g

According to official statistics, it was 47.8% people who voted in 2016.
https://ria.ru/infografika/20160918/1476912507.html#/summary

Also, do people in the following countries "don't seem to care who are leading their coutry" as well?

Switzerland 2007, 48.8% https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_federal_election,_2007
Japan 2014, 52.66% https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_general_election,_2014
USA 2014, 36.4% https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections,_2014

Yes, usually turnout is higher, but that's true for Russia as well: we had 60.21% in 2011 and 63.71% in 2007.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_federal_election,_2016

Here in Australia we had an approx. 91% voter turnout, 4-5% of them were informal voters and up to another 5% elected to pay the $50aud fine instead of turning up (there are exemptions involved with the last so it maybe lower by 1-2%).

Cheers.

Australia has compulsory voting though. If you don't vote, you get a fine or community service. I think the right to abstain is just as important as the right to vote. Voting is a civic right, not a civic duty, and as such people shouldn't be compelled to do something against their will.

According to official statistics, it was 47.8% people who voted in 2016.
https://ria.ru/infografika/20160918/1476912507.html#/summary.

Yes. Sorry. I must have been thinking of some other election.

Meanwile you can't possibly imagine the astonishment of the Swedish man who happened to find an envelope in his mailbox which was neatly addressed to none other than Vladimir Putin himself:)
https://sputniknews.com/art_living/201703291052076000-swedish-man-putin-mail/

Australia has compulsory voting though. If you don't vote, you get a fine or community service. I think the right to abstain is just as important as the right to vote. Voting is a civic right, not a civic duty, and as such people shouldn't be compelled to do something against their will.

But it does make sure that the greater majority does get the say without the silly theatrics that go on elsewhere while the fine for not voting is just a slap on the wrist really and we like it that way. :-p

Cheers.

Australia has compulsory voting though. If you don't vote, you get a fine or community service. I think the right to abstain is just as important as the right to vote. Voting is a civic right, not a civic duty, and as such people shouldn't be compelled to do something against their will.

Those who support Forced and/or Fines against Free Individuals (Remember them?). Should never be given the Reins of Power.

Castro's Cuba Voter Turnout: 97% https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elections_in_Cuba

Stalinist Russia Voter Turnout. 99.1% https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_Union_legislative_election,_1937

Kazakhstan (2015): Voter turnout 95.2%, and 97.7% of them voted for Nursultan Nazarbayev (president for 27 years already, invariably).
Russia (2012): Voter turnout 65.2%, and 63.6% of them voted for Vladimir Putin.

Australia has compulsory voting though. If you don't vote, you get a fine or community service. I think the right to abstain is just as important as the right to vote. Voting is a civic right, not a civic duty, and as such people shouldn't be compelled to do something against their will.

But it does make sure that the greater majority does get the say without the silly theatrics that go on elsewhere while the fine for not voting is just a slap on the wrist really and we like it that way. :-p

Cheers.

I respect your right to be/feel that way. I do emphatically disagree with your position though.

Australia has compulsory voting though. If you don't vote, you get a fine or community service

Not correct

Yes you do get a $50 fine but you are also removed from the election role so it's a duel thing a fine and a admin free to remove your name from roll.

You do not get community service . Only if you can't pay the fine/fee you can ask to do 1 days community service or just ask to pay $5 a week till it's cleared

So your rights to not vote are still respected or as was said

Voting is a civic right, not a civic duty, and as such people shouldn't be compelled to do something against their will.

with one exception it's a civic Duty first as well as a right and you are not compelled to add your name to the roll in the first place but once you do your Duty over rides your right and your right is not compromised buy your choices to then drop off the roll and not vote

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Australia has compulsory voting though. If you don't vote, you get a fine or community service

Not correct

Yes you do get a $50 fine but ....

You do not get community service . Only if you can't pay the fine/fee you can ask to do 1 days community service

So it's a fine or community service, like I said. I don't see how that's not correct.

So your rights to not vote are still respected or as was said

No they're not. Rights are respected when there's no penalty of any kind for exercising your right to abstain.

Voting is a civic right, not a civic duty, and as such people shouldn't be compelled to do something against their will.

with one exception it's a civic Duty first as well as a right and you are not compelled to add your name to the roll in the first place but once you do your Duty over rides your right and your right is not compromised buy your choices to then drop off the roll and not vote

If it's a duty and the duty overrides your right, then it's not a right and it's compulsory. That's not a free nation, IMO. Again, you guys can run your country any way you want to, I do disagree with what you're doing though (not that this American's opinion should matter as an outsider).