Dobre dien,
I've never been to Russia, but as a Libertarian, I'm starting to believe that today's Russia is more of a free country than today's U.S.
Low flat tax, less governmental regulation, and now
this:
<b>No More Jail Terms for Drug Possession</b>
"President Vladimir Putin signed an amendment to the Criminal Code in December stipulating that possession of no more than 10 times the amount of a "single dose" would now be considered an administrative infraction rather than a criminal offense. Punishment would be a fine of no more than 40,000 rubles ($1,380) or community service.
"It then took five months to hammer out what would be considered the single dose of various drugs.
"Ten times the amount of a single dose, as set in the government resolution that came into effect Wednesday, is 20 grams of marijuana, 5 grams of hashish, mescaline or opium, 1.5 grams of cocaine, 1 gram of heroin or methamphetamine, and 0.003 grams of LSD.
<b>
"Anyone caught in possession of these amounts or less cannot legally be detained</b>, a spokeswoman for the Moscow branch of the Federal Anti-Drug Service said. Instead, a report will be filed and the fine will be determined by a court.
"This is a major change. Under the old standards, someone caught with 0.1 grams of marijuana, for instance, could be punished by incarceration. "
Meanwhile in the land of the free:
Year 2004:
<b>Total Violent Crime Arrests: 590,258
Marijuana Possession Arrests: 684,319
Total Drug Arrests: 1,745,712
</b>
When I study an atlas, looking for places to escape to when the U.S. descends into full blown fascism (getting closer every year), Russia (with the most beautiful women in the world) seems to merit serious consideration. Now if only I knew how to say anything besides "Robota nie volk, Vliss nie Ubegit" and "Yidi possasee upianova yoshika."
Thoughts?