As students join Russian protests, concerns over stability rise

[Rose Siding]

MOSCOW – <snip>

Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov pledged Tuesday to postpone until later this year plans to force students into the army, after young people rallied in several cities against the conscription system.
...
"Until recently everyone thought the Russian population was passive, apathetic, and incapable of mobilizing to defend its rights, but now we see otherwise," says Masha Lipman, an expert with the Carnegie Center in Moscow.
...
"Our students may not be interested in politics, but politics is interested in them," quips liberal leader Sergei Mitrokhin, paraphrasing a famous remark by Bolshevik leader Leon Trotsky.

Even in Soviet times, students were able to defer army service, or to fulfill their obligations by taking part in military activities at their place of education. Under Russia's current law all males between the ages of 18 and 27 must perform two years of service. The country's growing deficit of draft-age males, plus widespread draft evasion, has led the generals to demand all legal deferments be cut, including those traditionally given to students.

http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0127/p07s01-woeu.html

[Bono71]

1. It's getting ugly in the USSR, er Russia. n/t

[russian33]

2. "Russian population was passive, apathetic"...um, No!

How about 1917? Or 1991?

"Even in Soviet times, students were able to defer army service, or to fulfill their obligations by taking part in military activities at their place of education."

Again...No. It was mandatory, you had to do it...and it was hell.

[Bono71]

4. What part are you from...was in St. Petersburg, Moscow (lived in

Solntsava), Novgorod, Pushkina (as well as Kiev and Odessa, Ukraine).

Loved (cannot stress that enough) Russia, especially the people.

[russian33]

6. I was born in former USSR...in Baku, Azerbaijan

Lived near Rostov for a while, in Novosibirsk.

Been to St. Pete once...love the city...and been to Moscow many times...Kiev once.

[lala_rawraw]

7. We are family...

I was born in Odessa, Ukraine... the irony, no?

[russian33]

9. Always wanted to visit Odessa, never got around to do it...

..One of these days. Been to Kiev, vacationed in Ukraine, been to Kharkiv.

[BR_Parkway]

3. And if the US started a draft? You think everyone would just go

down to the induction office or rebel?

[Bono71]

5. Massive protests for sure. n/t

[KareBear]

8. I sometimes wonder just what it WOULD take

to get the American people to rise up and take to the streets. Evidently two stolen elections aren't enough. Trampling on our rights aren't enough. Starting an illegal war isn't enough. Crimes against humanity aren't enough. Just what would do it? I don't know if they would over a draft or not. They all seem pretty fat and stupid at this point to me *shrug*.