Let me get this straight the EU parliament-which represents country which less than two weeks ago voted against the Russia Sponsored U.N Assembly accord to protect the memories of WWII [silent approval] of Saakashvili's eradication of a monument dedicated to the lives of Georgian men and women who fought and died for Georgia in WWII against the Third Reich, the same U.E parliament which is silent of Saakishvili's politics of terror against the people of Georgia- feels compelled to tell Russia how to conduct its own internal affairs. Well, Russia should follow its own rules and laws! http://en.rian.ru/world/20100101/157439094.html

There is a still palpable nostalgia in some European circles, as well as in US neocon circles for the charm of the "dissenters". Mind you, calling them "opposition" would really imply that there is a political following worthy of attention and backed by some sectors of public opinion. Since folks like Limonov cannot get anywhere politically, they have effectively given up on the voters. So, now they can just protest till their hearts' content, knowing full well that such orchestrated protests without permits will bring more Western press and cameras, then "protesters". There is indeed a troublesome aspect of EU/Russia relations. There is out there an alien language that EU speaks with, and that ordinary humans cannot understand. It is OK in Europe to bring to life a nazimocracy fusion in Croatia, have an "understanding" of West Ukraininan Nazi nostalgia, as well as the similarly inspired public expressions in Baltic states, but at the same time, pretend to be the absolutely morally superior to anyone when it comes to human rights and freedoms. It is a world where they can close eyes to terror in Georgia, killing of civilians including children in Afganistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, and Iraq. And at the same time, these same individuals can get incensed over "rights' of few people to break the law in Russia, and condemn the police for enforcing a simple law. Enforcement of such laws in Washington, for example, would not make it in any press, not even the local one. With so much mental confusion, West cannot hope to establish a leadership position in the world. Nobody can be a leader whose mental balance is questioned, and being able to excercise a simple, common sense judgement, in jeopardy. Or perhaps, these are the people who still believe that they have the monopol on the "truth", and that their insane contradicitons are just the matter of "interpretations" by their own Ministry of Truth.