The Never-Ending and Always Depressing Demise of Freedom in Post-Soviet Russia

At some point, someone's going to have to take this patient off life support. (Putin's just the man to do it.) Russia's parliament recently approved a bill that would grant the FSB - the successor to the KGB - greatly expanded powers. That agency may now summon people who are suspected of "causing or creating the conditions for committing a crime." (Caution now, dear reader: Minority Report comments will not be tolerated.) Oh dear. That kind of vagueness is an aneurysm-inducing invitation to abuse.

And, in another indication that democracy in Russia is anemic, Putin's party voted unanimously in favor of the measure. Yet another indication: the communist party opposed it. Wow. It can't be good when your bill is too oppressive for Russian communists.