Some tough words from President Dmitry Medvedev about the state of the Russian economy and the need to make urgent reforms.  These comments are likely to be followed by decisive actions and changes more comments.From AFP:

He told Russian political party leaders in the southern city of Sochi that Russia was "treading water" by not implementing reform and needed to urgently change the structure of its export-dependent economy.

"We cannot develop any longer like this. This is a dead end. And the crisis has put us under such conditions that we will have to take decisions about changing the structure of our economy.

"Otherwise our economy has no future," he said in comments broadcast on Russian television. (...)

"Why? Because we did not change the structure of our economy. Our economy is based on hydrocarbons, natural resources and their sale for export.

"As soon as there is a

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President Dmitry Medvedev recently met with human rights advocates. Hooray for Medvedev! Medvedev gave an interview to Novaya Gazeta. What a guy! They've released former YUKOS lawyer Svetlana Bakhmina. Respect - to him, naturally, the president. He fired the Moscow millionaire-general in connection with the fact that another millionaire, his belly full of vodka, went and shot to death two and wounded seven people who were guilty of absolutely nothing. Damn, that Medvedev is a veritable daredevil, he is!And a chorus of voices: a thaw, the ice is breaking, an outrage or a thaw, steering a course towards democracy...Если Вы хотите прочитать оригинал данной статьи на русском языке, нажмите сюда.Yes, ...

Some of the most entertaining news coming out of Russia these days has to do with the mayoral election in Sochi - a job which could land one lucky competitor the task of doling out billions of dollars in preparation for the Winter Olympics.  Without a hint of irony, President Dmitry Medvedev has called the campaign a "genuine political battle" that will enrich Russian democracy ... you can't make this stuff up.Needless to say, the country's most impressive corruption entrepreneurs have turned out to try to seize the post, but those placing their bets on the wanted murderer of Alexander Litvinenko, may be disappointed to see he's been chucked out.  And now it seems that opposition leader Boris Nemtsov's already slim chances are getting slimmer, as the United ...