Monday, May 25, 2015

Russia Outlaws Undesirable NGO's






Russia has come up with a novel idea on how to deal with NGO’s that meddle in their internal affairs:  outlaw them.  Here is an excerpt from CNN:

The law was passed earlier in the week by both houses of the Russian parliament. It says that a foreign non-governmental organization can be recognized as undesirable if it poses a threat to the constitutional order of the Russian Federation or to the country's defense and security.

The "undesirable" designation can be made by the country's prosecutor general or his deputies in consultation with the Foreign Ministry. The penalties -- both civil and criminal -- can be imposed if the organization continues to operate in Russia after having been so designated.

The law also targets Russian citizens or groups that have any "involvement" with undesirable foreign NGOs.

Supporters of the law said it was needed to stop "destructive organizations" from threatening the Russian state. But opponents portrayed it as one of a series of measures aimed at suppressing opposition and restricting freedom in the country.

Maybe, we should do the same thing, but instead, we would target NGO’s like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac; it was these two organizations that brought about the 2008 financial collapse along with their enablers in Washington D.C.

How about States’ outlaw agencies that undermine their constitutional prerogatives?  Our prisons would be filled with federal agents who arbitrarily abuse citizens and bully state governments into submission. 

Russia might be onto something.

Source:

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