The U.S. and Global Security Review - Blog by Michael Novakhov

M.N.: By banning the "undesirable" NGO-s, Russia performs her own lobotomy: the diversity of thought and opinions (especially when it is rich and well reasoned) is not only 'democratic" but is  healthy and is one of the conditions of functioning of the "collective mind", and the spirit of the nation in its civil institutions, culture, and ultimately the state, which is one of the ultimate beneficiaries. Suppressing the free thought, in all of its types, from sciences to arts, is therefore suppressing the general development and is suicidal for cultures, societies, nations, and states, which is a much greater risk than half-mythical or mostly imaginary and insecure concerns about the "threats to national security". In the case of Russia there is also a habitual historical risk of remaining the imitational, if any, democracy and staying all the time and in many respects behind, as a second, third, or a forth rate world power.  In the news