This story is interesting. Mikhail Khodorkovsky was one of the wealthiest people in Russia. He was the CEO of the State oil monopoly.
He decided to challenge Putin for leadership of Russia. He was charged with a crime and convicted.
Were the criminal charges punishment, for challenging Putin?
Some of my coworkers are from the Soviet Union. They are much more interested in this story. This story hasn't received much coverage in the USA.
First, the CEO of Russia's oil corporation isn't a real free market enterprise. The Soviet Union oil business was "privatized", which means a handful of insiders still control it. You don't get to be the CEO of a State monopoly unless you're a shady character.
However, "white collar crime" laws are so vague that practically anyone can be convicted. It's even worse in Russia than in the USA.
Why isn't this story publicized more in the USA? I guess that the Soviet Union and Russia are problems that were "solved". Admitting there's corruption now would make it seem like the cold war was a waste.
In the USA, people also are jailed for political reasons. That isn't highly publicized. Robert Kahre, Irwin Shiff, and others were jailed for criticizing the IRS. A pro-State troll says "They were convicted in court. Therefore they're criminals." Any jailed nonviolent offender is a political prisoner. Almost every high-profile critic of the IRS winds up in jail.
Mikhail Khodorkovsky's trial was "fair" in the same sense that "tax protester" trials in the USA are fair. You aren't going to get a fair trial in a State court, especially a politically-motivated prosecution. That occurs both in Russia and in the USA.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Mikhail Khodorkovsky
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5 comments:
Happy New Year.
Thanks for all your insightful posts.
I'm looking into this story at the moment.
Some people say that Putin puts the interest of his country first (unlike the US jokers) and does not want Russian oil sold to the US.
Didn't Khodorkovsky want to sell some of Yukos oil to America?
Isn't it better than a country's oil remand owned by its host country?
British thugs in the past had control of Iran's oil.
Recently one Iranian nuclear scientist was assassinated.
Which bunch of thugs and jokers do you think was responsible for that?
http://newhampshirefreepress.com/node/680
It seems the US legal system is corrupt.
If you don't succeed try, try again.
Mr Simkanin was NOT indicted by two grand juries over not withholding tax for his employees.
So the legal thugs PREVENTED HIM FROM APPEARING IN front of a third grand jury.
Nice trick!
He was bailed and then a clown overturned his bail.
"Secret grand juries" are an example of abuse of the State legal system.
A grand jury can subpoena *ANYTHING*. Judges and grand juries will rubberstamp any search warrant.
Via a secret grand jury, a prosecutor can go on a fishing expedition. He can question all your business partners and customers. He can subpoena all your documents.
You need to ask yourself how a person becomes extremely rich.
I have nothing against someone becoming rich off the back of their own work, creativity or vision.
But is this really the case here?
Is it off the back of other peoples' work?
Is it by taking a nation's resources for yourself?
The mineral deposits and fossil fuels of a country really belong to the country itself and not one man, woman or family.
I hear Putin is not all bad. I hear that he took back Russia's wealth from corrupt people.
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