Have you ever been to a public protest?

What anti-war protesters in the former USSR? That would have been considered a pretty serious Political offense, and at the very least a one-way trip to a Gulag if they were LUCKY

Trying to get into a Secret City, or an actual ICBM site to dig up a bit of dirt with a shovel, most likely they would have been machine gunned on sight. Not treated with respect by a county deputy

Even something as innocent as a song, called a "bard" in Soviet times, would have sent the songwriter to a Gulag. The KGB persecuted many who were even vaguely suspected of having feelings "against the State."

A writer like Alexander Galich was actually forced to leave the USSR in 1974, due to his anti government writings. He died under very mysterious circumstances in Paris, 1977

I'm a strong proponent of constructive criticism of the political process, especially as it relates to our health, safety, and well being. But its a bit disingenuous to suggest that a local protest makes one bit of difference in a foreign country, unless a local protest is used for propaganda purposes in that foreign country

The one nice thing about the collapse of the USSR, and the brief opening of secrets - censorship and secrecy are now rapidly becoming the new norm in Russia - is that we had a glimpse of just how oppressive that State really was

We also had a glimpse of just how bad their environmental issues were and still are, light years worse than anything in the US or Canada. We can learn from these issues, if we chose to

Hey! That's MY tag line!

 

Actually, there was anti-war protest in the former U.S.S.R. Yes, it was treated brutally. And far from criticizing American anti-war protesters, those Russians were glad that there was protest here also.

 

Mind providing a link? From what I have read on the topic, what little public protest there was, they were "disappeared." It would have been impossible for a Soviet citizen to try to enter a Secret City, or an ICBM site, as they would have been shot on sight

Russia is now slipping back to the old Soviet ways. Public protests against the government are very quickly quashed. Their press was very briefly "free" compared to the way they used to be, but that has also changed.

Journalists critical of Putin and Medvedev will generally have very short lives