Russia and the Rule of Law

[stumbler]

Maybe you could ask Jesus.

There is a murder that God allowed for the benefit of the many.

I am not saying that to be controversial, just because it is the most obvious example that pops to mind given the question you asked.

[Pravoslavnik]

Caiphus truly prophesied, "It is expedient that one man should die, for the sake of many." But that was an exceptional case, quite unlike the case of Litvenenko.

[Pravoslavnik]

There is an interesting article in today's New York Times about the culture of corruption in the Russian Federation "highway patrol." The link is:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/28/world ... ref=slogin

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    For those interested in the Russian Federation, this may be worth reading, and certainly relevant for the St. Euphrosynos Cafe thread on "Russia and the Rule of Law."  Of course, there is corruption in high places everywhere in the world, but the description of the Russian highway patrol in this article is certainly disturbing, and apparently a matter of concern for many Russian citizens.

   What are the implications for the culture and leadership of the official Russian Orthodox Church, the Moscow Patriarchate, in a post-Stalinist society where citizens are being routinely shaken down and extorted by their own police officers?  This was also the general question I was asking earlier this year regarding the Litvenenko murder case and the Putin regime.  Can a culture be truly Christian when the fundamental social and political ethic is "might is right?"

[stumbler]

Can't say as I see much difference between Russian cops looking for bribes, and American cops handing out absurdly inflated citations in order to justify their absurdly inflated salaries and benefits.

Either way, the people lose.

Isn't it ironic, though, that the Russians in this situation are exhibiting the capitalist tendencies while the Americans are acting like communists?

Thanks for the article Pravoslavnik. I enjoyed it and have shared it with others.

[Pravoslavnik]

Here's a new NYT article related to our old discussion of the modern Russian Federation and the rule of law. The phrase, "might is right" certainly comes to mind.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/24/world ... ref=slogin