Mink revolution!

   Here at The Country Mink and The City Mink we've been reading a lot about our fellow "minks" in Russia. It seems that demon called voter fraud has reared its ugly head once again. And we know all about the political machine, after all, a famous newsman here once said our state motto should be changed from "Urbs es Horto" to "Ubi Est Mea?". When it looked like the Olympics might grace our fair city people thought our mascots should include Chalky (a chalk outline of a dead guy) and Grafty (an open hand grabbing for a sack of money). So we get it.....
   In the Financial Times this weekend, Charles Clover interviewed chess genius Garry Kasparov. Among topics they discussed were Kasparov's 2005 opposition to Russia's president; Vladimir Putin. Kasparov described the difference between chess and politics quite simply; chess is, "where the rules are fixed and the outcome is unpredictable", whole politics in Russia is, "where the rules are unpredictable and the outcome is fixed".
  If you feel inclined to read the full article, which is highly recommended, you can go here: King of the Castle.
The term "mink revolution" was coined by Russian reality-TV star, Kseniya Sobchak after the parliamentary elections of Dec 10th. Most youth of today (inside and outside of Russia) have no memory of past uprisings, hell...human beings don't have a firm grasp of last week's riots let alone riots from centuries ago. Some are dubbing the protester's the "new Decembrists".  The "old Decembrist's" marched in 1825 when 3,00 soldiers refused to swear allegiance to their new Tsar, Nicholas I.  Instead proclaiming their loyalty to his brother, Constantine.  
  Why the sudden history lesson? Today at lunch I couldn't help but overhear a man and his son discussing college. I assume the son was home for the holidays and was talking about going into accounting instead of his friends who were leaning towards art history and general history. They both discussed that there was no point to learning about history, because there was no future in it! No future and no job. The nerve! I wanted to march on over to them and pose the question, "So, history has no bearing on the world? Then explain what is happening in Russia to me in context of its past revolutions!" 
   "Whoever wishes to foresee the future must consult the past; for human events ever resemble those of preceding times. This arises from the fact that they are produced by men who ever have been, and ever shall be, animated by the same passions, and thus they necessarily have the same results"
     -Niccolo Machiavelli-