<http://www.untimely-thoughts.com/index.html?cat=4&type=3&art=1816>
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First off, let me say what an excellent format you're providing with the RP Experts' Panel: very impressive and extraordinarily rare amongst English language offerings on Russia and her neighbors.
Regarding Mikhail Kasyanov...
I found Professor Herspring's comments to be particularly intriguing ("guided democracy" -- interesting).
And, if I'm interpreting this correctly, surface pyrotechnics (the legal ins and outs of the case) aside what's truly at stake is whether or not the anti-Kremlin factions will be able to achieve sufficient political cohesion to pose a destabilizing challenge to Putin's still-forming state system.
I'm going to be closely watching Western media reports on this ...will Kasyanov be portrayed as a "liberal reformer" a la Khordokovsky's makeover?
There may be potential for a great deal of politically destructive mischief here.
.d.
-- http://monroelab.net/ <<<<<>>>>> groove to my groove