During our short holiday break, we hope you’ll have a happy holiday. We wish all of our readers the best of Thanksgivings. We hope that you enjoy the day with loved ones, food and football. We also hope you’ll remember all that you have thankful for.

We are grateful to you for making our efforts worthwhile. In a year that has been so tough that many blogs have faded away, we’re still here and will continue to be here as long as we can pay the server bill.

We wish you the well and hope you’ll keep reading!

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There can be any number of reasons to arm a deranged dictator. In this case, new income and employment for a devastated arms industry is politically expedient for Putin and Medvedev. Since Venezuela is on the other side of the world, there’s not much to be concerned about in Moscow.

The missiles have a range of 300 kilometers. The weapons are a part of a series of arms deals with Moscow. Mr. Chavez made the announcement on Friday after returning from a ten-day tour of Africa, Asia and Europe and he insists the weapons are for defense only.

Mr. Chavez says the rockets will arrive in Venezuela soon and he says his country is not going to attack anybody with them. He says the weapons will help defend his country from any threat no matter where it comes from.  Venezuela is currently involved in a dispute with neighboring Colombia over that country’s agreement with the U.S. to allow American troops access to seven Colombia bases for anti-drug operations.

Moscow says it is willing to sell Venezuela whatever weapons it is willing to buy. Venezuela is currently negotiating the purchase of 100 T-72 and T-90 tanks from Russia. (VOA)

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It never ceases to amaze me how little time the US news media devotes to reporting when net filtering happens in Russian republics. They go crazy when China blocks access to porn and Iran blocks news, but when bloggers in Bashkortostan get blocked the silence is deafening.

Residents of Bashkortostan, a central-southern Russian region, found their access to the popular LiveJournal blogging website blocked Tuesday, after a court ordered an opposition blog to stop publishing.

As the Kasparov.ru online newspaper reports, internet providers in the region were ordered to limit user access to the IP address used by the “Revinform” online news agency.  When two providers complied, some 63% of the republic’s residents lost access to all blogging content on LiveJournal.  Authorities were apparently unaware that the shut-down, which affected thousands of bloggers, would be so wide-reaching. (The Other Russia)

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As we honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice to free the world from tyranny, we should also remember a few of history’s lessons. The ultimate defense against tyranny is vigilance, and it’s something that is sorely needed right now in both the US and Russia.

We should also remember that in 1945, Hitler’s tyranny was only defeated by the combined efforts of Russian and the US. It’s doubtful that either nation could have overcome the German forces alone.

We honor those who sacrificed their lives for us to have the opportunity to be free today, We we have a sacred debt it to them to be dilegent custodians of the freedom they gave us.

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The average Russian bore the poverty created by Soviet central planning only to endure a very painful transition to a market economy.  After a fleeting encounter with prosperity crated by a petroleum and real estate bubble, the average Russian is enduring the pain of having less again.

Unemployment in Russia reached new highs in April, growing by 1.8 million people in the first quarter of 2009.  According to Rosstat, the Russian statistical agency, 7.107 million people are now unemployed.  The agency, which prepared its report using the methodology of the International Labour Organization, released the figures on April 20th.  The Economic Development Ministry said 2.34 million people were officially registered as unemployed.

Adjusted for the latest numbers, Russia’s unemployment rate now stands at 9.5 percent. (The Other Russia)

With all of the hightened retoric between governemnts, it’s important to remember what the person who works, pays taxes and just gets by is dealing with similar circumstances both here and in Russia. While the Russian government is spending more to try to pump up the economy, it has been more restrained in its willingness to create trillions out of thin air for so called “stimulus”. Perhaps it’s because the Russian psyche has not yet forgotten the hyper inflation that printing so much money creates.

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If you’ve experienced Moscow by car, you already know that the driving conditions are treacherous there even in good weather. In spite of this, motorcycles have never been more popular, and the popularity is growing rapidly. Even more surprising is the large numbers of the new riders are women.

Last weekend saw the fourth Moscow International Motorbike Sa­lon, at the Krasna Presnya Inter­national Exhibition Center. It kick started the biking season, which starts at the beginning of April and is described by the organizers as “a much needed specialized event for the booming Russian two-wheel market.”

The MIMS is enthusiastic about motorbikes’ advantages. The show offers encouragement on its website:?”First, it is a very practical method of transportation, especially in big cities where traffic jams are becoming a usual everyday scenario. Second, the motorbike is that ‘thing’ that allows you to… meet more people and make new friends. Third… just have fun riding alone through the countryside enjoying nature, taking in the views and fresh air, away from the everyday stresses of life.”

Two wheelers are finding more and more converts. “The amount of motorbikes in Moscow is at least 10 times bigger than when I started, it is getting so popular. At least half the motorbikes you see are new models, so at least half of them are in their first season”, says Zateyeva.

“My family and friends were pretty excited at first, when I got my first bike,” she says. “I got my license eight years ago and there were not many girls who rode bikes then.” Her first bike was a Russian Java, which her friends gave her to drive in the countryside. She has since graduated to bigger and better models and rides in town a fair deal. (Moscow News)

Here’s a video sales pitch from the US Distributor of the Russian Ural motorcycle. This is one home grown product that is commonly owned by Russians.

Today in Russian History

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If anyone understands the perils of big, ever growing government, it would certainly be a Russian who lived and worked at the end of the Soviet era. The era ended when the government simply collapsed onto itself. Speaking to uber elites at a conclave in Davos Putin’s  words should be noted here in the west:

Putin seemed to focus much of his speech on market incentives. “It is important to avoid making decisions, even in such force majeure circumstances, that we will regret in the future,” he said towards the middle of his address. “This is why I would first like to mention specific measures which should be avoided and which will not be implemented by Russia.”

Here Putin seemed to capitalize on the past experience Russia had with excessive government control.

“We must not revert to isolationism and unrestrained economic egotism,” he said, citing that although the protectionist measures “we all are observing” are inevitable, we still need to know where to stop.

“Excessive intervention in economic activity and blind faith in the state’s omnipotence is another possible mistake.”(Moscow News)

In the US the policies currently being persued by Preisdent Obama and congress feel a bit too much like the policies Putin warned against.

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