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Entry: Putin Beyond the Propaganda Link: http://www.takimag.com/site/article/putin_beyond_the_propoganda#17638 Post contents: A wise man once said: "Religion is the Opium of the masses". He went on and wrote a book about a class struggle between the workers and the capitalist upper class. It means little today as the whole fabric of society has changed since he wrote it. The Capitalists updated their system to prevent what he wrote about from happening. Although his religion comment is correct today as it was in the 19th century. Let's be serious here. A Leader's religion has little effect on how well his country does. Otherwise we should all be switching to Shinto! Japan's population is less than 1% Christian yet its Economy is the 2nd Largest National Economy in the World by real value! Currently they have achieved around 5 Trillion dollars in their National GDP. This with only about 120 Million people, fewer than in Russia. Russia's Economy is around 1.2 Trillion dollars in real value. One of the largest, but per capita one of the smallest. Building Monasteries instead of building Businesses contributes to the problem of low per capita GDP. Because religious people have no time to create heresy in the form of technological breakthroughs to lead the modern Technology driven economy. In fact Scientists are the biggest critics of this state supported religious fundamentalism in schools in Russia. You can follow whatever Philosophy you choose, but please don't shove Christianity down my throat. There are over 30 Million non-Christians(other religions) in the Russian Federation. Close to 1/5 of the population. A large Buddhist minority inhabits the southern region of Kalmykia. Should the non-Christian Russians be burned on the stake as heretics? Let's be realistic. The foundation of Christianity is a fairy tale. The Bible has about as many facts as the book "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea". The writers of the Bible were not Anthropologists and Archaelogists. They could only write about what they could understand and see. What they could not see, like Dinosaurs for example, they could not know about. That means their "infinite wisdom" was limited. How did Noah avoid a plague from breaking out in cramped dirty conditions? Kind of hard to explain that one without claiming "divine intervention". Science today is not compatible with Religion. Any religion that sets limits on man's development and tries to make him/her think within the box is a regressive influence on society. This does not mean it should be banned, but it should not become a Government sponsored education program. Look at Russia in the early 20th century and USSR in 1961. In 1914 Russia was dependant on Foreign imports to supply the Military and support the Government. Everything from Rifles, to Ships, to Cars, to Planes were made outside of Russia. Only Sikorsky had limited success in bringing his inventions into the air, but this was relatively late into World War 1. Russia could have been flying airplanes in the 1890's if a Scientist by the name of Aleksandr Mozhaisky had not been ignored. He was a leader in aeronautical research in Russia in the late 19th century, but he had little funding to support his projects, which were successful to a degree, he did demonstrate a heavier than air object with a human pilot that used multiple engines, and had wings and a tail like modern airplanes. It even flew for a short period in 1884. But, we have Monasteries to build and Royal yachts to buy from the Germans, we have no time for "crazy" anti-Christian inventions. We don't need Factories, we don't need Science Academies, we don't need Business Offices, we don't need Technology Schools, we only need the Church, God, and Liturgy! That was the main thinking of Tsarist Russia in the early 20th century. And it nearly caused the collapse of Russia after the outdated and uneducated Russian Army was not able to match its enemies on the battlefields of WW1. "God" could not make modern weapons materialize to defeat the enemy. He could not make rifles out of thin air. They had to be bought in Belgium and the US, and when Belgium was taken over the Russian supply of small arms declined to the point that units had to share weapons! Because Russia's industry was far too small to supply the Millions of Russian ground troops. Nowhere in the Bible did it teach you to build firearms and cannons. Only a modern Education system could accomplish this. Eventually the Russian War effort collapsed. Unarmed men were just tired of being sent against German field guns and machineguns to be slaughtered for Tsar Nikolai and the Church. Russia was lucky visionaries like Konstantin Tsiolkovsky survived beyond the "religious" Tsarist period. Otherwise no space flight no first man in space for Russians. The great achievements of the 1950's and 1960's would have been impossible unless the Government made an effort to create a "modern" Educated Scientist class of individuals, not Monks or Theology students. Since the fall of "Godless Communism" in what sphere of technology does Russia lead? How about none. 100 years ago most Russians lived in the 17th century(Serfdom, illiteracy, and total poverty) because the Tsarist Government, Nobility, and Church enriched themselves through the helpless population. Today Russia heads in the same direction. Nothing to celebrate. Try to follow the 4 month long strict Fasts of Eastern Orthodox Christianity and see how much you like the religion! No eggs, meat, milk, or sweets for weeks! The brain actually begins to shrink from the lack of Protein. It is un-natural. Sent at: 2008 05 16