It seems that events in Russia simply mirror what is happening in dozens of little tin pot dictatorships that exist around the world. The difference is that Russia is the source of most of Europe's energy because of it's huge gas deposits - and it has one of the world's biggest deployment of nuclear weapons - and the means to deliver them.
Russia claims to be a democracy these days. It's leader and it's parliament are elected by popular vote, but to most of it's citizens this past election was anything but fair.
Political parties that posed a real threat to Vladimir Putin's United Russia party were refused the right to appear on the ballot paper - and their leaders were sent to gaol on trumped up charges. Then - when the votes were counted - support for United Russia was often greater than the number of citizens registered to vote. It was glaringly obvious that the ballot box had been stuffed with bogus votes to ensure victory for the sitting government.
In the distant past, this was the usual way for the Communist party to hold a " pretend " election and proclaim popular support to the world - but times have changed. There is a new mood that is sweeping through society and citizens in many countries are no longer afraid to voice their opinions - and demand that rigged elections be overturned - and held again.
It looks like Putin is going to tough it out, dismiss these protests and use his security forces to break heads and disperse the crowds, but he does so at his peril. That was exactly what the leaders of Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Syria tried - and it didn't work.
Killing innocent people only enraged the citizenry further. Crowds turning out in their hundreds increased to thousands - and then to hundreds of thousands. The bodies of the dead were carried through the streets as martyrs - and the protests surged to even bigger volumes.
The mood for change is not confined to countries with oppressive regimes. The people of the democratic world are rebelling against unjust laws and the machinations of " crony capitalism " - where a privileged few control a huge proportion of the wealth.
Back in the 1950's a British prime minister noted " the winds of change " that were blowing away the old system of colonial suppression. Today's " winds of change" are demanding governments that truly represent the people - and not just those in power who benefit from the laws that are passed.
It seems that using force to kill innocent people no longer cowes the masses into submission.
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