Brezhnev & Stalin: Identical Leaders

Both Leonid Brezhnev & Joseph Stalin ruled the Soviet Union, using similar methods in their governing. Both were repressive leaders during their respective years in power, using brutal tactics to subdue political opposition. Stalin employed Soviet gulags, in which political prisoners were worked or starved to death, and arranged massive purges within the Communist Party and the army. Brezhnev brought back a new era of political repression after a decade of political relaxation following Stalin's death. But while Stalin unleashed unlimited political terror on the populace, Brezhnev's policies' were more reserved and subtle. A common practice of dealing with political opponents was to have them declared be mentally insane and lock them away in insane asylums across the Soviet Union. Both regimes also created a cult of personality revolving around both leaders, though Stalin's far surpassed.
Brezhnez's

Stalin and Brezhnev both oversaw growth of their country's economy during their individual rules. Stalin initiated economic progressivism through the Five Year Plan, which sough to industrialize the country. Post-war Russia also experienced a economic boom during the final years of Stalin's rule. Brezhnev's regime rode the wave of this economic growth. However, during the 1970s, the country began to run into stagnation which continued up into Brezhnez death in 1982. Both dictators negotiated with Western nations. Stalin worked with America and Great Britain during the war, but the relationship between the Allies deteriorated in the years following the war. Brezhnez came to power at a major peak during the Cold War. Brezhnez's negotiations with the United States during the 1970s, however, led to a period of relaxed relations between the two countries.

Sources include:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonid_Brezhnev

http://www.historyguide.org/europe/brezhnev.html

Leonid Brezhnev (1964-1982)

Leonid Brezhnev

Leonid Brezhnev was General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, and therefore de facto leader of the Soviet Union, from 1964 to his death in 1982. Brezhnev was born on December 19, 1906 in Kamenskoe (modern day Ukraine). In the 1920s, in the years after the Russian Revolution, Brezhnev was employed as a land surveyor, eventually becoming a full Communist Party member in 1931 and studied at a metallurgy institute. He rose through the Party ranks in the late 1930s and during World War II, served as political commissar on the front-lines. Immediately after the war's end, Brezhnez continued his rise up the party leadership, becoming a member of the Central Committe in 1952. His power further rose in the 1950s under Nikita Krushchev, his mentor.

Despite this relationship with Krushchev, Brezhnev was instrumental in the removal of Krushchev from office in 1964, and later that year emerged as new General Secretary. During his 18-year rule, the Soviet Union reached the peak of its worldwide power and influence. Russia continued the economic growth it had experienced since World War II. It was also during this time that Russia and the United States entered into a period of detente during the early 1970s, which witnessed the negotiation of capping the number of nuclear weapons each country possessed. Despite this progress, the Soviet Union experienced increased political repression under the Brezhnev regime. Corruption and party patronage flourished during Brezhnev's rule.

During the 1970s, Russia began to experience economic stagnation, which may have been aided by Brezhnev's economic policies. In 1979, Cold War tensions flared after the Russian Army occupied Afghanistan after a communist revolution in that country. In 1982, amidst turmoil at home and abroad, Brezhnev died of a heart attack at age 75, the result of worsening health over the years. He was succeded in the party leadership by Yuri Andropov.

Sources include:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonid_Brezhnev
http://www.historyguide.org/europe/brezhnev.html

Russia: The Illiberal Democracy

An illiberal democracy is a type of government, whose leaders, though democratically elected, often ignore the basic needs and rights of its citizens and overstep their boundaries of power. The leaders of such a country may use law enforcement to silence political opponents and amy ban freedom of speech and freedom of the press, both which are encouraged in a liberal democracy. A prominent feature of a illiberal democracy is that citizens are not allowed to be involved in that country's political process, whether through political rallies or through the press. The term "illiberal democracy" was first coined by journalist Fareed Zakaria in an article he wrote for Foreign Policy in 1997, entitled "The Rise of Illiberal Democracy".

A recognizable illiberal democracy in the world today is Russia. The following article is from Reuters, detailing how corrupt Russian officials would exhort American business's in Russia for personal gain.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE62E1SU20100315

David Cameron denounces student protests

Prime Minister David Cameron gave a statement to the press outside of Downing Street on Friday in which he denounced the student protests that week that had turned rapidly violent and destructive. The protests erupted over the government's plan to increase tuition costs for university students. Last week, amidst the protests, a car containing Prince Charles and his wife Duchess Camilla was assaulted by angry student protesters. In his statement, Cameron condemned the actions of the protesters, calling it "unacceptable". Cameron says that the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, the head of London's police force, is mounting an investigation into the riots and also specifically into the attack on the Royal Couple.

MP aide arrested as Russian Spy

Last Thursay, according to the Sunday Times, Katia Zatuliveter, a 24-year old Russian parliamentary aide was arrested on claims of espionage.  Miss Zatuliveter had been working for MP Mike Hancock, a Liberal Democrat from Portsmouth South. Hancock denies the authorities' charges against Zatuliveter. Hancock also claims that Zatylieveter has not seen any evidence against her and that no one has "shown [Hancock] any evidence to support the view that she is any way a threat to the UK". Hancock's constituency is home to a large naval base, and Hancock himself is a member of the House of Commons Defense Select Committee. Miss Zatulieveter has been working for Hancock since 2008 and had previously been an intern in the House of Commons and had worked in Continental Europe.  Zatulieveter's arrest was ordered by MI5, Great Britain's counter-intelligence and security agency. Great Britain's home office has declined to comment on the case so far, especially regarding rumors that Zatuliveter could be deported.

Katia Zatuliveter & MP Mike Hancock

This case is "believed to be the first time since the end of the Cold War" that a person employed in Parliament has been accused of spying for Russia. It is quite similar to the recent uncovering of a Russian spy ring operating in the United States. Reportedly, Zatuliveter has also been drawing attention from the media, comparing her to the most noticeable member of the American spy ring, Anna Chapman. There is also reports from tabloids that Hancock and Zatuliveter may have been engaged in a relationship, with some newspapers descriping Hancock as having a reputation as a womanizer. Since the case is almost a week old, the exact facts are still murky. If Zatuliveter is indeed found guilty to these charges, it would be a clear indication that the age of espionage between the West and Russia is far from over.

Blog info came from the following link from the BBC News Website

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11920665

Oil & Gas Lobbying

Of the many lobbying organizations in this country, the oil lobby is most certainty one of the most influential. As oil is one of the main sources of energy in America, and across the world, the corporations that drill oil have considerable influence with nations and governments. Each year, lobbyists for different oil companies spend millions in capital cities, from London to Washington DC, promoting the interests of the company they represent. Because of such lobbying, laws and legislation can be passed by federal and state governments that are "favorable" to the industry. Oil companies have the most influence in states where oil drilling makes up a large percentage of that nation's economy. In Texas, about 37,204 new oil wells were constructed in 2009 alone. In states such as Texas, the state's majority party, the Republican party, is pressured by lobbyist to voice their interests in Washington. A common stereotype is that the Republican Party is mainly influenced by the industry, since many come from oil-drilling states, though in reality, this is true for both Democrats and Republicans. In the event of oil spills, the companies responsible will lobby hard to convince the government and citizens that it is a reliable corporation. The recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the damage control campaign launched by BP is the most recent example of this.

 An emerging lobbying arm in Washington is the drilling of natural gases in the United States. The use of natural gas has come recently amidst widespread concerns that the country is becoming too dependent on foreign oil. Natural gas seems to many to be an appealing replacement from oil. However, the natural gas industry has also gathered immense influence and power in the lobbying world of Washington. More and more natural gas companies employ lobbying firms to promote themselves in federal and state governments. As viewed in the documentary Gasland, natural gas drilling sites number by the thousands across the nation. Drilling of natural gas also has hazardous risks, with the likelihood of pollution if released into the atmosphere. Though it is similar to the oil industry in that regard, the public at large, because of the industry's promotion as being more "green" friendly, views the natural gas industry more positively than oil.

Sources include:

http://www.allbusiness.com/government/elections-politics-politics-political-parties/15195985-1.html

http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/84123-natural-gas-lobby-steps-up-to-challenge-coal

http://money.cnn.com/2008/08/19/news/economy/oil_money/

http://greenanswers.com/q/182523/energy-fuels/fossil-fuels/oil-petroleum/what-state-has-most-new-oil-wells-drilled-every-yea

Questions for Josh Fox

1. Why did you decide to film your receiving the letter asking you to lease your land?

2. Did you already have a documentary in mind before receiving the letter?

3. Do you know what the situation with the families you interviewed is now?

4. What are some of your future projects?

5. Will you do any more documentaries on hydraulic fracturing?