December 6, 2011

This Facebook Rally Will Not be Televised in Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s grip on power is more tenuous than ever following big losses in last Sunday’s parliamentary election. This is not surprising, since Putin does not actually have much support, says the former World Chess Champion and Russian Presidential Candidate Garry Kasparov. According to Kasparov, Putin’s power has been based mostly on the apathy of the Russian population.

However, that appears to be changing right now, as we are witnessing right now with the so-called ‘Facebook rally’ and other reactions to alleged election fraud in Russia. Will the social unrest that has toppled dictators in the Arab world spread to Russia? While the spontaneous rally is not being shown on Russian state TV, it is spreading around the Russian blogosphere. In the video below, Kasparov tells Big Think he believes a social revolt is inevitable.

Watch the video here:

a computer generated image of a human brain.

Thinking

The great free will debate featuring Michio Kaku and Steven Pinker

Who — or what — really controls your mind?

Building destroyed by the Halifax Explosion. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C.

The Past

The largest accidental explosion of all time

More than a century ago, Halifax suffered an accidental blast one-fifth the size of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.

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High Culture

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The Well

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7 min

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with

Laurie Santos

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